Cast Iron Seared Sea Scallops | Chef Lee Chizmar | Tips & Techniques

While I love me some shrimp, crab, or lobster, seared scallops are the king of my sea(food) world! 😍
Their mildly sweet flavor and that caramelized crust they get when seared in a super hot pan…oh, swoon. Not to mention, they’re really low-maintenance compared to lobster and crab. 😋
Check out these tips from Chef Lee Chizmar on how to cook scallops!
✅Cast Iron Seared Sea Scallops:
4 ea. u/10 dry Sea Scallops
2 tbsp. of blended oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan
1 tsp. of butter
1 tsp. of fresh lemon juice
Pinch of thyme leaves
Salt and White pepper for seasoning
✅Method:
Heat the Cast Iron pan over high heat. Add the blended oil, once the oil starts to reach the smoke point, dry tops of the scallops with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Add the seasoned side of the scallop down to the pan. Once the pan returns to smoke point again reduce the heat to medium. Pay attention to how fast the scallops are caramelizing, not all scallops are equal and the heat must be adjusted accordingly. You are looking for an even golden brown sear. Once you have achieved the sear, lightly season the other side of the scallop with salt and flip. Add the butter, lemon juice, and thyme to the pan and turn off the heat. Baste the scallops with the juices in the pan. Allow the scallops to carry in the pan to desired temperature and serve

[@JoshuaLRay]

It's such a blessing to even see scallops. God bless y'all. I loved it

[@lisawaldman2684]

Would love the recipe for the risotto & the purée underneath… Looks delicious!

[@philm2217]

The humble genius that makes Bolete the best in the valley

[@johnbrandolini2915]

The main reason scallops weep is due to STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate) that is added to the seafood to supposedly help retain texture. In effect it causes the flesh to absorb water increasing its bulk by around 10%. So given that percentage, purchasing 16 oz @ roughly $19/ lb you are really only getting ~14.5 oz of scallops which translates to $21/ lb. I am lucky to live in Southern Maine and am able to buy untreated seafood from New England Fishmongers in Kittery. Their scallops are a bit pricier than what's available from supermarkets or other venues but are worth it for the quality of the product. In my opinion the practice of adding STPP to seafood and up to 17% of "broth" to poultry and some brands of pork is an unethical business maneuver used to increase profit by defrauding consumers.
Aside from that, the video was nicely done. Tbh the scallops were a little overdone for my taste as we prefer lightly golden browned. Also I choose lard over vegetable oil as most of the blended oils contain canola oil which is pressed from a gmo version of rapeseed. I'm not averse to all gmos; however, canola oil still contains some erucic acid which is what makes rapeseed oil toxic. Finally, I try to balance our meals with fresh veggies and some carbs but never thought to serve risotto with scallops. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@peteluetz2586]

Would you use avacado oil ? Maybe add a little ghee as well? Just wondering

[@adrianojames8388]

As absolutely agree . I appreciate you sharing this info , I had no idea they add this , and I would actually prefer to pay more per pound for scallops that don't have this STPP added in . Matter of fact , I won't be buying them anymore from the market I shop at here in Denver .

[@jamzzy888]

Was that risotto that he plated before the scallops?

[@straydog4204]

Looks great chef!

[@greenman5506]

Just the chef would suffice.

[@0x0x00]

Beautiful presentation❤ yum.

[@adrianojames8388]

My scallops never look that good . I get them out of the freezer ( same size as these ) let them defrost , I always pat them dry , a couple of times , and moisture still pours out of them resulting in never getting that golden brown on them . But after watching this , I think my problem is cooking way to many at one time in my lodge cast iron pan . Each bag has maybe 16-20 . So next time I will try 4-6 at a time hopefully I can get these results ...

[@jimdavidson4157]

once defrosted lay them on a couple layers of paper towels, put a layer of paper towel over them and pat it, and leave them there for about 5 minutes, then flip them over to new paper towels and do it again. this will help remove the excess water.

[@100BIPBIPBIP]

Your steaming them for sure.

[@SooperKewl]

Had to watch this twice because the beauty of the co-host was so distracting 🔥

[@peteluetz2586]

Describe what blended oil is comprised. I like to use avacado oil with ghee.

[@darkheartlightsoul]

bravo

[@Silverstreak7878]

Truffle risotto? How is the risotto made?

[@hoovershistory]

Your voice reminds me of Charlie Day

[@mcdob69]

Hum…. Hum….. hum…. Hum….. hummmmm!!! I lasted 27 seconds… hummmm!,! Keep cooking and stay away from a camera, hummmm…. yes - hummmm

[@la_privatechef4530]

Your scallops look burned!!!!😅