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My Sautéed Shrimp and Scallops Recipe for is a lightened-up version of a popular Mediterranean seafood dish. My recipe is for two servings, but can easily be adjusted up with just a click in the recipe card, to serve 4 or 6.
The dish that inspired this recipe includes flour in the marinade. The flour gives the finished dish a thick, marinara type sauce. I was looking for something with a thinner “broth-like” sauce. In my recipe I omitted the flour, added clam juice, and more wine to create a broth. The rice soaks up the broth better and the thinner broth is perfect for sopping up with a piece of crusty French bread.
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Ingredients
- Shrimp
- Scallops
- Garlic
- White Wine
- Cayenne Pepper
- Butter
- Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
- Sugar
- Clam Juice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Lemon Juice
- Scallions
- Parsley
- Smoked Paprika
- Brown or White (Cooked) Rice
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Process shots were taken during cooking of recipe for four servings, not two servings. Recipe is for two servings, but can be adjusted up in recipe card.
Instructions
Peel shrimp, leaving the tails on, devein, and rinse the. Slice scallops in half horizontally. Pat both dry on paper towels.
Mix the paprika, Cayenne pepper, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.
Fold the seafood into the spice mixture being careful not to damage the scallops. The seafood should be evenly coated with spices.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a sauté pan and over medium heat until melted and bubbling. (I am using my favorite stainless steel sauté pan, but a non-stick skillet works well too!) Add the sliced garlic, stirring constantly until it becomes fragrant, about 30-45 seconds. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Remove the garlic from the pan and set aside to add back later.
Place the shrimp into the pan over medium heat in a single layer. When the shrimp is golden brown, turn over and sear the other side. At this point you are just searing the surface. The shrimp will continue cooking later.
Move the seared shrimp to one side of the pan leaving room for the scallops.
Place the scallops in the pan and cook until lightly golden brown. Flip to the opposite side for 30 seconds.
As the scallops are seared, place them on the side with the shrimp and continue until all scallops are cooked on both sides.
The shrimp and scallops should be seared on the outsides only. They will continue cooking in the broth.
Add the tomatoes to the sauté pan. Mix the tomatoes in with the seafood.
Mix the clam juice, wine, and lemon juice in a small bowl and pour into the sauté pan.
Cook for one minute them remove the shrimp and scallops from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan along with the cooked garlic.
Add the chopped parsley to the sauté pan.
Simmer the sauce until the tomatoes begin to shrivel and give up their liquid. Continue simmering until the liquid reduces and thicken a bit.
Add the seafood back to the pan and cook until heated through.
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Sprinkle additional fresh chopped parsley over the top and serve immediately over rice. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste. You don't need much. The Cayenne pepper will provide a kick of heat.
Enjoy with a chunk of crusty French bread for sopping up the sauce.
Hint: Slicing garlic into thin pieces is time consuming and risky if your knife skills need improvement. I love this inexpensive Garlic Slicer from Oxo. Plus, it works for slicing ginger too! (non-affiliate link. I just love it
Substitutions
- Clam Juice - if you don't have clam juice, you can substitute chicken broth, but the taste will not be as seafood forward.
- White Wine - you can omit the wine and add extra clam juice, but again, the taste will not be as intense.
- Seafood - in a pinch, you can substitute the shrimp or the scallops with a firm white fish like sea bass or halibut, cut into I" cubes.
- If you are following a Pescatarian or Mediterranean diet you will want to substitute a whole grain, legume, or brown rice for the white rice in this recipe.
Variations
- Spicy - if you like it spicy, add extra Cayenne pepper. The serious heat seekers can add a little Calabrian chili paste.
- Deluxe - for a truly decadent version of Sautéed Shrimp and Scallops, add chucks of lobster.
Equipment
A good sauté pan is the best choice for preparing this Sautéed Shrimp and Scallops recipe. Confident cooks can use a stainless steel sauce pan, but a good quality non-stick pan with a heavy bottom works for even novice cooks. I love my non-stick Misen pans, but use what you have! (non-affiliate link. I just love these pans.)
Serving and Storing
Serving suggestion: I am a bit obsessed with shallow bowls at then moment. Serving this dish in shallow bowls allows you to get seafood and rice in every bite. Plus, it just looks better and contains the broth better than a plate.
This dish is best when served piping hot, right off the stove. I have warmed leftovers for lunch the following day, and while still good, it is not quite as good. The seafood gets a bit overcooked.
This dish does not stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Fresh shrimp and scallops work the best in this recipe. Like many of you, fresh seafood can be difficult to find where I live, so I often use with frozen. If you are buying previously frozen seafood from behind the case, ask when it was defrosted. They shouId be able to tell you. It is often better to buy the bag of frozen seafood and thaw it when you need it.
I always buy sustainable seafood and fish and, if I buy frozen, I prefer brands that are individually flash frozen, right on the boat. I always thaw frozen seafood in the refrigerator or submerged in cold water.
Recipe
Sautéed Shrimp and Scallops Recipe
Equipment
- Saute pan
- Garlic slicer or sharp paring knife
Ingredients
- 8 medium shrimp tails on (recommended)
- 4 large sea scallops sliced in half horizontally
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼` teaspoon kosher salt (recommended) use only ¼ teaspoon if using table salt
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1.5 tbs butter
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup bottled clam juice substitute low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 tbs lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1.5 tbs flat leaf Italian parsley coarsely chopped
- 1 cups hot cooked brown rice substitute white rice
Instructions
- Rinse, peel and devein shrimp, leaving the tails on. Pat dry with paper towels. Slice the scallops in half horizontally and pat dry.
- Combine paprika, kosher salt, sugar, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl and mix well. Place the shrimp and scallops in the bowl and fold gently until all the seafood is coated.
- Melt 1 tbs of the butter in a large sauté pan or non-stick skillet over medium heat being careful not to burn it. Add the sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not brown the garlic! Remove the cooked garlic and set aside to be added back later.
- Add the shrimp and sear both sides over medium heat. Move the seared shrimp to one side of the pan to make room for the scallops.
- Add the scallops in a single layer on the open side of the skillet, being careful not to crowd them. After turning them once only, cooking for 30 seconds on the other side. As they get nicely seared, move them to the side with the shrimp. When all the seafood is seared stir to mix.
- Add the tomatoes, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the cooked garlic and the chopped parsley.
- Mix the clam juice, wine, and lemon juice in a small bowl and add to the pan. Simmer one minute and them remove the shrimp and scallops to a plate and set aside to be added back later.
- Simmer the sauce until the tomatoes begin to shrivel and give up their liquid. Continue simmering until the liquid reduces and thickens a bit, about 3-5 minutes.
- Return the shrimp and scallops to the pan. When the shrimp and scallops are opaque, remove the skillet from the heat and spinkle on some fresh parsley and black pepper to taste.
- Serve in shallow bowls, poured over white or brown rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition information is provided as a convenience and courtesy only. You are encouraged to do your own calculations if precise data is required.
This Sautéed Shrimp and Scallop recipe would be the perfect main course to pair with my delicious Mediterranean Salad.
🌡️ Food safety tips
From the USDA: Safe steps in food handling, cooking, and storage are essential in preventing foodborne illness. You can't see, smell, or taste harmful bacteria that may cause illness. In every step of food preparation, follow the four guidelines to keep food safe:
- Clean—Wash hands and surfaces often.
- Separate—Separate raw meat from other foods.
- Cook—Cook to the right temperature.
- Chill—Refrigerate food promptly.
For a chart of the recommended internal temperature for foods and more safety tips visit USDA.gov.
Alyce Morgan says
Yummy! You had me at shrimp. So glad you're back in the kitchen. Happy cooking, Mary!!
Mary says
Thank you so much Alyce!