Seared Scallops With Jammy Cherry Tomatoes

Updated Feb. 6, 2024

Seared Scallops With Jammy Cherry Tomatoes
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(2,788)
Notes
Read community notes

In this vibrant dish, seared scallops are paired with cherry tomatoes for an easy 25-minute dinner that feels a little bit fancy. The tomatoes are cooked in white wine and butter until they’re falling apart, which means you can make this with any cherry tomatoes, whether you picked them up at the summer farmers’ market or at a snow-covered grocery store. The whole thing is finished with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and lemon zest. Equal parts casual and elegant, this dish is best served straight from the skillet, with a big green salad, a nice loaf of bread and the rest of the wine.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½cup thinly sliced shallots (about 2 shallots)
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼cup dry white wine, such as muscadet or sauvignon blanc
  • 1pound cherry tomatoes, cut in half through the stem (about 3 cups tomatoes)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 16large sea scallops (about 1 pound), tough muscle removed
  • 2tablespoons grapeseed oil, plus more as needed
  • 1lemon, halved
  • Julienned fresh basil and mint, for serving
  • Coarse sea salt, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

272 calories; 16 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 706 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-low and add the butter to melt. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant.

  2. Step 2

    Add the wine and cook until about half the liquid has evaporated.

  3. Step 3

    Add the tomatoes, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes have released their juices and almost completely collapsed. Transfer the tomato mixture to a small dish (use a rubber spatula to get every last bit of the sauce!), then carefully wipe out the pan with a damp paper towel.

  4. Step 4

    Pat the scallops dry. Add the grapeseed oil to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil is very hot, add half the scallops, spacing them evenly in the pan, and season with kosher salt. Cook without moving for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook for 1 more minute. Don’t overcook! Transfer the scallops to a plate and repeat with the remaining scallops, adding more oil if necessary.

  5. Step 5

    Drain any remaining oil and take the skillet off the heat. Return the tomatoes and their juices to the skillet and squeeze in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Return the scallops to the skillet, nestling them into the tomatoes. Top with the zest of both lemon halves, julienned basil and mint, and a generous sprinkle of coarse sea salt, and serve immediately.

Ratings

5 out of 5
2,788 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Why not do this in reverse order, searing the scallops first? That way, the cooking tomatoes can deglaze the pan and the scallops can be added last, all without draining or wiping the skillet.

This was so flavorful! One comment asked why not do the scallops first and then deglaze with the tomatoes; that sounded like a more logical approach, but I realized in doing so your scallops have to sit out and wait for the tomatoes to simmer... and there is no good way to reheat a scallop. So, I made it in the recipe’s original order of operations. I had a lot of the broth leftover, and thought it would taste great with steamed mussels and clams. So round 2 was equally awesome!

Used this as a base for pasta sauce. Diced & cooked scallops, reserved on the side covered with foil. Cooked mostly as directed with less butter, more garlic, added crushed red pepper. Added scallops back to the pan with squirt of fresh lemon juice & basil, bit of the pasta water. . Served over wheat, thin spaghetti. Deelish

Made this last night. When I was reading the recipe I thought that something feels off with the chemistry here. The tomatoes won’t get carmelized or jammy and sweet without direct heat. I was right. The tomatoes shed a lot of water and with the wine broth already going, it ended up heading towards sauce. Next time will do tomatoes with oil on a higher heat, for a longer period, and fewer of them, and do the wine and shallots separately.

I think it’s always helpful to pre-cook the tomatoes in a very hot oven - 450 - for maybe 10-15 minutes to help get that caramelized taste. Works in most recipes that call for pan-cooking cherrry tomatoes.

Imma roast the tomatoes with the garlic and shallots first, sear the scallops, deglaze that with the wine, then throw it all together in the pan for a few to meld stuff up. It’s one more pan; get over it. Besides, where do you have to go?

I made this astounding dish last night per recipe. I used our home grown cherry tomatoes (red & yellow). I toasted some bread in a pan with butter, rubbed some garlic on it and used it to soak up the ‘jammy’ cherry/scallop juice. Beyond delicious and so simple! The freshest scallops are required for this.

I love this recipe, but it takes longer than stated, and making it all in one pan makes no sense. Prepare the tomato sauce (summer-ripened cherry tomatoes make all the difference), and when it's done sear the scallops in a different pan--I like cast iron. Place the scallops in the pan with the sauce, along with the lemon juice and the lemon zest (very important), and you're done.

One of the best recipes I’ve made! Roasted the tomatoes with salt and pepper for 15 min at 450F before adding to the shallot/garlic/butter mixture. Once the tomatoes were heated through, cooked the scallops in a separate pan before adding to the wonderful jammy tomatoes. Excellent with focaccia.

Thanks to Mystikal Hehdstok's excellent advice! I roasted the tomatoes, shallots and garlic in oil in a 450 degree oven. Sauteed the scallops in butter in two batches. Took scallops out, deglazed with wine. Scallops in serving dish, tomatoes on top, then reduced wine/butter, then herbs. What a presentation! And so very delicious!

Cooked this with both shrimp and scallops. Cooked the shellfish first, then the tomatoes, then returned the shrimp and scallops to the pan for a quick warm-up. I forgot to put in the wine and I didn't even notice because the tomatoes were juicy. The tomatoes did mostly hold their shape, as in the picture. I served it over couscous, which was tasty.

Scallops need to come out of the pan or they will toughen!

Made Jammy Tomatoes a few hours ahead, roasted tomatoes in oven and poured off the liquid. Delicious. Had jammy Tomatoes left over (I cook just for myself),reheated to enjoy with cedar plank grilled salmon. Most satisfying! Sautéed the scallops in clarified butter. Five stars.

Made absent the scallops. The jammy cherry tomatoes are a delicious partner with burrata or on bruschetta or as part of cheese / charcuterie / olives and crostini plate for a simple meal.

Amazing! I made as per the directions, but first sautéed zucchinis which I took out of the pan before the tomatoes. Yum yum.

What can I use as a replacement of grapeseed oil?

I added pasta. It just seemed like it needed something to carry those good tastes.

Stellar recipe. Made as is. Be sure to have crusty bread for the sauce. Bowl licking good.

Stellar recipe. It’s bowl licking good.

Simple preparation and delicious.

Great recipe! I sear the scallops first, a couple of minutes a side, then remove them to a plate. Continue in the same pan, no additional oil, with the shallots and garlic. Add wine and deglaze, add more wine if it cooks down too much, then continue to tomatoes step. After the tomatoes have softened I add in cooked orzo and then put the scallops on top with any juices in the plate. Leave them over medium-low a couple of minutes just to warm them.

I took advice and did this n two pans—the tomatoes in one and seared scallops n the other, then added scallops to the tomatoes. Terrific flavors here, a big hit for my husband and me. Included all ingredients as written.

Don’t halve the lemon until you’ve zested the rind.

This was flavorful. I made it as directed and the tomatos just turned into a regular consistency sauce. Next time I will definitely roast tomatoes as others have said so i actually get “jammy” tomatoes.

I added grapeseed oil and then the scallops while pushing everything else to the side of the pan. I did not want to take things out and put them back in.

I made this exactly as stated and it was perfect. The only thing is that the recipe doesn’t say to zest the lemon so make sure you do it before you juice it. Highly recommend!

I wasn't in the mood for tomatoes the other day, so I made this without the tomatoes and 1/2 the salt. Superb.

I love this recipe. I’ve made it a dozen times now.

This was very good and I highly recommend the recipe. I agree with others that you should just use one pan for the sauce and another for the scallops. The picture was also nothing like what the final dish turned out looking like, since the tomatoes turned into a sauce and there weren't any plump tomatoes left.

Maybe tomatoes and scallops are not great together. Cherry tomatoes & scallops are both very sweet. Scallops alone are better.

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