BAKED SEA SCALLOPS

Baked Sea Scallops image

What an easy way to cook scallops! The Hearts of Palm Sauce really added to the taste of this recipe. I can't wait to serve it to my seafood loving friends. This is a very tasty dish to serve on a special occasion.

Provided by Andy Anderson !

Categories Seafood

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

4 Tbsp sweet butter, unsalted
1 1/2 lb fresh or frozen sea scallops
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika, sweet mild
1 tsp oregano, dried
2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/4 c panko bread crumbs

Steps:

1. If you want a great sauce that fits this recipe to a tea, then check out my Hearts of Palm sauce recipe... I got it from a German chef who lived on Grand Cayman Island.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), and place the rack in the middle position.
3. Melt the butter in a small butter warmer, small saucepan, or you could always nuke it in the microwave. Chef's Note: We all use the microwave for a variety of purposes; however, when you use it to melt butter, slow is the way to go... a low setting for about 3 minutes.
4. Pour the melted butter into a casserole dish; something around two quarts is perfect. Chef's Note: Since you will be using this dish for presentation, if you have something nice... use it.
5. Place the scallops in the dish, and evenly distribute them in rows and columns over the butter.
6. Take the breadcrumbs, onion powder, paprika, oregano, minced garlic and parmesan cheese, and combine in a small mixing bowl. Chef's Note: You best tools for doing this are your hands... that way you can break up any lumps.
7. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the scallops.
8. Bake until scallops are firm; or until an instant-read thermometer reads 146f (64c) this will take about twenty minutes.
9. How to Tell if a Scallop is Fresh Look: A good scallop will be cream colored or light beige. Scallops that are tinged with pink are too old and should be avoided. Moisture: Good scallops will be relatively dry. Scallops sitting in liquid are past their prime. Avoid Scallops that are sitting in a milky liquid. Smell: Fresh scallops have a slightly sweet aroma. Bad scallops smell like sulfur or ammonia. Touch: A fresh scallop will be firm to the touch. Scallops too old to eat are soft and slimy.
10. Chef's Note: Microwaving a scallop can cause it to explode... I HATE it when that happens.