Scallops with Bacon and White Wine Sauce

5 from 4 votes

Scallops with Bacon and White Wine Sauce

Craving some pan seared scallops? These Cast Iron Scallops with Bacon and Lemon Butter Pan Sauce are top notch, and easy to make. Grab a cast iron skillet to get the perfect golden brown crust making the perfectly seared scallops. Serve in a juicy butter sauce made with lemon juice, white wine, bacon, fresh herbs, garlic and onion.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 459kcal

Author: Briana

Ingredients

6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds scallops
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided (or to taste)
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 medium shallots, diced (can substitute yellow onions)
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 ounces white wine (like pinot grigio)
1-2 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice (to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
parsley and fresh basil to garnish

Instructions

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook for 6-8 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Clean the skillet and return to the stove.
Heat the skillet until very hot, then add the olive oil. Add the scallops to the skillet and don't overcrowd the pan. Sear for about 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove them from the skillet and set them aside.
Allow the skillet to cool down to medium heat, for about 10 minutes before adding some of the butter and shallots, or else you will burn them. Add shallots to the skillet with the butter with a pinch of salt. Cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic, red pepper flakes, and bacon bits. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add lemon juice, zest, and white wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, then add back the bacon bits. Stir in basil, parsley, and remaining butter to the sauce. Return scallops to the skillet to warm through. Garnish with parsley and basil. Enjoy!

Notes

Choose a pinot grigio or something lighter, crisper, and fruity for this dish. Avoid oaky chardonnays.
You can also use seafood stock or chicken stock instead of wine.
To get a nice golden crust on the scallops, you will want to make sure they are dried off really well. Moisture and a nice crust on your scallops just don't mix. Take some paper towels and dry your scallops very well.
Season with salt and pepper, and make sure your pan is really hot. You really do want the pan to be smoking hot, on high heat. Add olive oil to the pan right before adding the scallops.
Add the scallops in a single layer, but leave plenty of space between them. You don't want to overcrowd the pan! Overcrowding will produce extra moisture, and you don't want that. You will want to cook the scallops in batches.
Once the scallops are in the pan, don't touch or move them for at least 90 seconds. The scallops will naturally release once they have been seared. Once they're browned, flip them over for another 30-60 seconds. That's it!
Add lemon juice to taste. Taste the sauce, and add more lemons if desired.

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