Twice-Cooked Scallops
- 4 1/2 cups/1,012.5 grams water
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons/48 grams fine sea salt, plus more for seasoning
- 8 U-10 scallops
- 2 tablespoons/28 grams olive oil
- 2 tablespoons/28 grams cold unsalted butter
- In a large bowl, combine the water and salt, stirring until the salt is dissolved.
- Remove the muscle from the scallops and place the scallops in the brine for 10 minutes.
- Remove and pat dry.
- Preheat a circulating water bath or large pot of water to 122F (50C).
- Set two sheets of plastic wrap on a work surface and arrange 4 scallops on each sheet, end to end, so they resemble scallop logs.
- Wrap the plastic tightly around the logs and then seal them in vacuum bags.
- Alternatively, you can place the logs in large zip-top bags and seal them, squeezing out as much air as possible.
- Place the bags in the water bath and cook the scallops for 30 minutes, then transfer the bags to an ice water bath and let cool.
- When the scallops are cold, transfer them to the refrigerator.
- They will keep for up to 2 days.
- To cook the scallops a second time, heat a heavy-bottomed pan that is large enough to comfortably hold all the scallops over medium-high heat.
- Unwrap the scallops and season them with salt.
- Pour the oil into the pan and when it just begins to smoke, add the scallops.
- Sear the scallops on one side.
- When they have formed a dark golden crust, 2 to 3 minutes, flip them over and add the butter to the pan.
- Baste the scallops with the butter until it stops foaming.
- Remove the scallops from the pan, let rest for 5 minutes, and serve.
water, salt, scallops, olive oil, cold unsalted butter
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/twice-cooked-scallops-374115 (may not work)