Seared Scallop Pasta with Browned Butter & Sage
Browned butter and sage! What could possibly top those flavours? I will tell you what… scallops!
This recipe is ridiculously simple and tastes like a dish you would buy at a five star restaurant. A nice quick dinner to impress your guests! Or, if you are new mommy like me and “Date Night” is a thing of the past, you can create a romantic dinner for two at home. Quickly throw down a table cloth, two candles and a big bowl of scallop pasta in front of your hubby and he may just remember why he married you in the first place!
- Greenfish Scallops (about 16 - 20 Large)
- 5 Tbsp Butter
- 20g fresh Sage Leaves
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 3/4 pack of Linguini Pasta
- Salt & Black Pepper
- Cook pasta as per package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, sear the scallops.
- Dry scallops off with a bit of paper towel.
- Once most of the moisture has been removed, season both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a pan melt the 1 tablespoon of the butter on a medium to high heat.
- When the butter is bubbling, place the scallops in the hot pan and sear for 1 to 1 and a half minutes per side depending on how big the scallops are. Do not allow the butter to burn.
- The scallops are done when they turn from translucent to white, and they should turn a lovely golden colour on the outside from the caramelization.
- Remove scallops from the pan and set aside.
- Drop the heat to medium and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, allowing it to bubble and melt and turn a golden colour, being careful not to let it burn.
- Add the sage leaves and fry for a minute or two.
- Drain the pasta.
- Place the pasta and seared scallops into the browned butter and sage mixture and toss together.
- Add the parmesan, salt and pepper and toss once more.
- Serve immediately.
Smoky Yellowtail Braai
If you scroll through some of our recipes you will see that this is in fact our second braaied yellowtail recipe. What is the difference you may ask? In our first recipe we gave you details on cooking a delicious yellowtail fillet covered in red onion, garlic, lemon and coriander. We used the braai more as an oven, with the fish being wrapped in tinfoil, but still giving you the option of the “gees” that an open fire gives us South Africans.
This recipe is quite different in that the fish is placed directly on the grid and absorbs all those fabulous smoky braai flavours. You will need a braai grid which can open and close with a handle so that you can flip the fish over easily. Leaving the scales on the skin can help prevent the fish from sticking to the grid but make a note to remove the skin before eating.
- 750g Greenfish Yellowtail Fillet, skin on (plus minus 250g per person)
- A few knobs of Butter
- 2-3 teaspoons of crushed Garlic
- Salt & Pepper
- Place the fillet on the braai grid skin side down and season with salt and pepper. Spread a few teaspoons of crushed garlic over the fillet and place a couple of knobs of butter on top.
- Place the grid high above the coals on a medium heat and braai skin side down. Cooking on a medium heat high above the coals will prevent the skin from burning. You will see the meat change from translucent pink to white. Cook until you can see this colour change has just gone past half way (this process will take approximately 15 -18 minutes).
- Flip the grid over so that the flesh side is now above the coals and cook for approximately 3-5 minutes until almost done. When the fillet looks 95% cooked remove from the heat as it will continue to cook once taken off the coals.
- Enjoy with friends!
Easy Peezy Pan-Seared Scallops
My husband always shares his stories of when he worked in Australia, diving on the Great Barrier Reef, many years ago . One that always fascinated me was his description of how scallops used to fly through the water like Pac Man and how, in order to catch them, they would knock them with the back of their hand to throw them off balance! He always described how delicious and fresh they were as they literally pan-fried them on the boat for dinner that same night. This is his simple recipe on how to cook them, which is the same method he used many years ago out in the open sea.
- Greenfish Scallops (4-5 Large per person)
- Knob of Butter (to cover the bottom of a pan)
- Salt & Pepper
- Dry the scallops off with a bit of paper towel.
- Once most of the moisture has been removed, season both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a pan melt the butter on a medium to high heat.
- When the butter is bubbling, place the scallops in the hot pan and sear for 1 to 1 and a half minutes per side depending on how big the scallops are. Do not allow the butter to burn.
- The scallops are done when they turn from translucent to white, and they should turn a lovely golden colour on the outside from the caramelization.
- Serve immediately with lemon and garlic mayonnaise and side dishes of your choice.
- Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and a pinch of black pepper in a small bowl.
- The lemon & garlic mayonnaise is optional but adds a nice zesty flavor to the scallops.
Yellowfin Tuna Steaks on the Braai
Spring has sprung, the flowers are out and the braais are ready to be lit! What better way to celebrate the new season then with a fresh yellowfin tuna steak on the braai.
This recipe is so simple. All you need to do is whip up a quick marinade, throw in your Greenfish yellowfin tuna steaks (which are already perfectly prepped and ready to go), marinade for an hour or two and, with a quick toss on the braai, dinner is served!
- 1 pack of Greenfish Yellowfin Tuna Steaks (2 steaks)
- Salt & Pepper
- Japanese 7 spice (or 5 spice)
- 1/3 Cup Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil (or sesame oil)
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice (or half a squeezed lemon)
- Sprinkle the tuna steaks with a small dash of the seven spice and a pinch of salt and pepper. (Do not use too much of the seven spice as it has some heat to it!)
- In a glass dish create the marinade by combining the teriyaki, soy sauce, olive oil and lemon juice.
- Place the seasoned tuna steaks into the marinade, cover the bowl with cling film and pop into the fridge. Marinade for at least half an hour before turning the steaks over and marinading the other side. Leave the steaks to marinade for an hour or two.
- Remove the steaks from the marinade and braai over medium hot coals with the grid on the middle setting for about 1-2 minutes a side. Make sure you discard the marinade and do not pour over the steaks. Excess marinade will burn and become bitter.
- Serve immediately.
- Remember tuna steaks can be rare to well done, depending on how you like your fish served. Cooking time for this recipe is based on a medium steak. You can alter your cooking time accordingly to suit your preferences.
