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Scallops with Burst Tomatoes and Hazelnuts

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time16 minutes
Course: Appetizer, dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: freshly ground pepper, gluten free, hazelnuts, kosher salt, olive oil, scallops, sea scallops, shallots, tarragon, white wine vinegar, yellow cherry tomatoes
Servings: 4 people
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup hazelnuts toasted coarsely chopped, excess nut-skin removed. Pine nuts or macadamia nuts would also be delicious.
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided to season both the scallops and the burst tomatoes, use more or less according to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided to season both the scallops and the burst tomatoes, use more or less according to taste
  • 1 1/2 pound large sea scallops U10-20, approximately 24 scallops, side muscle removed, patted dry (See NOTES section below)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes preferably yellow or sun gold, other colors and or shapes can be used
  • 1 small shallot finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Place hazelnuts on a foil or parchment-lined tray and toast hazelnuts until golden brown, approximately 8 minutes. Set a timer!
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Season scallops with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side, 6 minutes total (See NOTES section below about cooking times). If your pan isn't big enough to cook all of the scallops at one-time, cook them in two batches. Transfer scallops to a plate.
  • Add tomatoes and shallot to the same pan (no need to clean pan!) and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook tossing occasionally until some tomatoes have burst, about 4 minutes. You can also lightly press down on the tomatoes with a fork to “help” them burst. Mix in vinegar.
  • To assemble, place 5-6 scallops on a plate and top with the burst tomatoes, hazelnuts and tarragon, if using. I also garnished the dish with some thin slices of mango. So simple and so delicious!

Notes

This recipe is based on U10-20 count scallops which means that approximately 10-20 scallops will be in a pound. Some will probably be closer to a U10 size and some may be closer to a U20 size. As a reference, if you end up with 30 scallops for 1 1/2 pounds, the scallops are closer to U20s whereas if you get 15 scallops for 1 1/2 pounds, the scallops are bigger and closer to U10s. Depending on the actual size of the scallops you buy, you may need to adjust the cooking time…slightly less time for smaller scallops and slightly more time for larger. “Slightly” meaning 3o seconds less or more cooking. You want to avoid over-cooking, because over-cooked scallops become rubbery.
Removing the side muscle is super simple. Click here to see how it’s done.