Brown Butter Scallops With Risotto & Kale
1 year ago

Brown Butter Scallops With Risotto & Kale

We’d like to introduce you to the fanciest dinner you can prep in 10 minutes, our Brown Butter Scallops With Risotto & Kale. But leading with the fact that this dinner is fancy might not be the right decision on our part. It distracts from how accessible this dish is — the warm, comforting risotto, the perfectly sautéed kale, the scallops so tender that describing them as soft and chewy doesn’t cut it. These scallops are downright creamy.

With L&B Organic Chicken Broth, butter, white wine and Parm, the risotto is classic — the platonic ideal of risotto, if you will. We season the kale with subtlety, so its earthy notes shine through but you still get the hit of salt and garlic. And, taken together, the scallops, risotto and kale make perfect complements, so this meal is as satisfying as it is elegant.

4 servings
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients

For the risotto:
4 cups L&B Organic Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
½ cup white wine
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

For the kale:
1 tablespoon L&B Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups stemmed and chopped kale

For the scallops:
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 pound large scallops
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

  1. To make the risotto: In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the chicken stock while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. Add the shallots and sauté until tender and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Continue stirring for 1 minute to lightly toast the rice.
  4. Stir in the white wine, then add ½ cup warm chicken broth and continue stirring until the liquid is almost gone, about 2 minutes. 
  5. Continue adding the chicken broth, ½ cup at a time and stirring until the liquid is almost gone, until the risotto is creamy and the rice is tender.
  6. Add the Parmesan and stir until incorporated. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. The risotto should be slightly loose; it will thicken as it cools. Set aside.
  7. To make the kale: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds.
  8. Add the kale and sauté until wilted and tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and set aside while you cook the scallops.
  9. To make the scallops: Heat the grapeseed oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. 
  10. Swirl the pan to evenly distribute the oil, and gently place the scallops in the pan. Give the pan a little shake to make sure the scallops are not stuck to the bottom.
  11. Cook the scallops for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown, flip, then add the butter. Cook until the butter foams and browns, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Baste the scallops for about 30 seconds, then transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate. 
  12. Divide the risotto and sautéed kale between serving bowls. Place the scallops on top and serve immediately. 

Recipe adapted from: Pinch of Yum

Brown Butter Scallops With Risotto & Kale