Chef Tom fires up the Kettle Joe for Seared Scallops with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce cooked on soapstone over charcoal.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Reducing the wine down separately before building the butter sauce concentrates its flavor first, rather than adding raw wine straight into the butter and diluting the sauce
- Cooking the butter until slightly foamy and browned builds a nutty depth into the sauce that plain melted butter wouldn't have
- Searing the scallops on a preheated soapstone surface gives them the same high, even heat a cast iron skillet would, letting the crust form quickly without overcooking the delicate interior
- Setting the finished sauce aside to cool slightly before serving keeps it from being too thin or hot to properly coat the scallops once plated
Category
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian
Servings
4
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Calories
313
Feast on delicious seared scallop recipe with a creamy butter, lemon and caper sauce, cooked over charcoal and soapstone! Enjoy this exquisite dish prepared with the Kettle Joe for a flavorful experience.
Ingredients
- 1 lb scallops, feet removed, rinsed, dried
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Sea Salt, to taste
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Tellicherry Black Peppercorns, fresh ground, to taste
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
-
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1 large clove garlic, grated on microplane
-
1 tbsp Cattleman's Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Sea Salt, to taste
Lemon Caper Butter Sauce:
Directions
- Build a hot coal bed in the ceramic lined fire basket of the Kamado Joe Kettle Joe. Rake the hot coals and spread evenly across the surface. Place a Kamado Joe Half Moon Soapstone Cooking Surface directly on the top of the ceramic fire basket. Place a Stand grate at the next highest setting, on the opposite side. Place a Lodge 8” Cast Iron Skillet on the standard grate to preheat. Grill temperature should be around 500ºF.
- Pour the white wine into the skillet. Let reduce to about 2 tbsp. Remove the wine from the skillet.
Place the butter and extra virgin olive oil in the skillet. Melt the butter, and allow to cook until slightly foamy and lightly browned. Add the capers and garlic and fry briefly (30 seconds). Add the lemon juice and zest, as well as the wine. Move away from the intense heat. Stir in the hot sauce. Set aside to cool.
- Season the scallops lightly with Jacobsen Salt Co. Black Garlic Sea Salt and fresh ground Jacobsen Salt Co. Tellicherry Black Peppercorns.
- Grease your soapstone with a high heat oil (avocado). Place the scallops on the soapstone. Cook to sear, about two minutes. Flip and sear opposite side. Remove when internal temperature reaches 120ºF.
- Serve the seared scallops over pasta, topped with the Lemon Caper Butter Sauce.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why reduce the wine separately before adding it to the butter sauce?
Cooking the wine down to about 2 tablespoons on its own concentrates its flavor first. Adding raw wine directly into the butter would dilute the sauce rather than contributing a concentrated dose of flavor.
Why cook the butter until it's slightly foamy and browned instead of just melting it?
Letting the butter brown slightly builds a nutty depth into the sauce that plain melted butter alone wouldn't provide, giving the finished lemon caper sauce more complexity.
Why sear the scallops on a preheated soapstone instead of a standard grill grate?
The soapstone holds and radiates high, even heat similar to a cast iron skillet, letting the scallops develop a real crust quickly without the direct flame that grill grates would expose them to.
Why set the finished sauce aside to cool before serving?
Letting it cool slightly keeps the sauce from being too thin or too hot to coat the scallops properly once everything is plated together.
What internal temperature should the scallops actually reach?
This recipe pulls them at 120°F, but USDA's minimum safe internal temperature for shellfish is 145°F. Cook the scallops until they reach at least 145°F rather than pulling at 120°F.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5 a hot cast iron skillet on the stovetop can replicate the sear just as well as the soapstone, and the sauce comes together entirely on the stove; the grill mainly adds a touch of char.
Recipe Highlights
Separately reduced wine: Concentrates flavor before it joins the butter sauce.
Browned butter base: Adds nutty depth beyond a simple melt.
Soapstone sear: Delivers even, high heat for a quick, clean crust.
Rested sauce: Cools to the right consistency before plating.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 5.3 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 313
- Carbs
- 9 grams
- Protein
- 19 grams
- Fat
- 21 grams
- Sodium
- 711 milligrams
