I love the beginning of the year. It’s a great time to sort of reset yourself and that includes making healthier food choices. Like many people during the holidays, I give myself until the 1st of the year to stuff my face with whatever I want, then immediately turn it around come January 1st. I tend to cut back on my carbs (so sad) and stick to lean proteins like fish and shellfish. Scallops are some of my favorite things in the world to eat and I find myself eating them a lot this time of year. It’s perfect because we’re right in the thick of citrus season and scallops + citrus is one of my favorite combination of flavors, specifically blood oranges.

I like to think of scallops of ocean candy because of their bright, sweet flavor. I usually keep it pretty simple when it comes to scallops to make sure they stay the star of the dish. The fresh segments of blood orange and spicy bite from the mustard micro greens balance the sweet scallops beautifully. Just make sure you don’t overcook your scallops or they’ll become tough and chewy and it’ll totally ruin the experience. People usually sear them before quickly steaming them to finish cooking them through, but I just prefer giving them a quick sear on each side, keeping them nice and rare in the middle.

This has been my favorite “keep it fresh and simple meal” lately. It’s super simple to put together and makes for a great, light lunch. You can also toss in a bit of cooked farro or quinoa to the dish to bulk it up for a more substantial meal…or just turn this into a recipe that serves 2 instead of 4…something I do all the time because why not, right? Enjoy! xx, Jenny

Scallop fan? Yep, us too. Here are more scallop recipes to drool over:

Seared scallops over pumpkin risotto in a blue bowl with a spoon. — Seared Scallops over Pumpkin Risotto

Seared scallops over roasted sweet potato pureee with pickled mustard seeds. — Seared Scallops over Sweet Potato Puree

Frutti Di Mare recipe on a platter. — Frutti Di Mare

Click here for our Seafood Recipe Collection

A plate of citrus seared scallops with another plate in the background.

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Citrus Seared Scallops

5 from 5 votes

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RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

▢ 12 fresh scallops (U12), beards removed and pat dry
▢ ½ cup fresh blood orange juice about 1 medium blood orange
▢ ¼ cup fresh lemon juice about 1 large lemon
▢ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
▢ 3 blood oranges, supreme/segmented
▢ 1 cup loosely packed micro greens
▢ salt and pepper to taste
▢ flavorful olive oil garnish
▢ blood orange zest garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Season scallops with salt and pepper and place in a medium bowl with the blood orange juice, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Toss together. Allow scallops to marinate for 10 minutes.
Remove scallops from marinade and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add ½ of the scallops and sear on each side for 2 to 3 minutes (or until golden brown).
Flip and sear the other side for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
To assemble: Scatter a few blood orange segments onto each plate. Arrange 3 scallops onto each plate and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Top with microgreens and zest and finish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve

NOTES

*Makes 12 Scallops

Serving: 1serving Calories: 148kcal Carbohydrates: 7g Protein: 6g Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 11mg Sodium: 178mg Potassium: 188mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 4g Vitamin A: 97IU Vitamin C: 27mg Calcium: 13mg Iron: 1mg

CUISINE: Amercian

KEYWORD: scallops

COURSE: dinner