16 fresh sea scallops, side muscle removed
3 tablespoons butter, plus 5 tablespoons butter, divided
4-5 sprigs Italian herbs such as oregano, parsley, and thyme or sage
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1 cup dried polenta (I used Bob's Red Mill brand; do NOT use instant polenta for this recipe)
5 cups water
Salt and pepper
Instructions
To prepare polenta:
Combine dried polenta and water. Over high heat, bring mixture to a boil. Whisk frequently to avoid lumps. When mixture begins to spit, turn heat down to medium-low (polenta should intermittently bubble and pop, but not rapidly). Continue to cook, stirring often, for about 45-50 minutes, until polenta is thickened and soft and pulls away slightly from the edge of the pot. Melt in 3 tablespoons of butter and season to taste with about 1-1 ½ teaspoons of salt.
To prepare scallops and sauce:
Pat your scallops dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Using a regular or cast-iron skillet, bring a few tablespoons of oil to high heat. When pan is very hot, add scallops and sear for about 3 minutes. Flip the scallops and sear on the opposite side for an additional 3 minutes, or until scallops are cooked to your liking. Remove scallops and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add butter and herbs to the pan. Butter will bubble and brown while herbs fry rapidly. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until butter is lightly browned and smells nice and nutty. Turn off heat. Finish sauce with lemon juice (carefully! It will bubble and spit). Quickly pour into bowl or serving vessel to stop the cooking process.
Serve scallops over bed of polenta, with a drizzle of the brown-butter sauce and fried herbs.
Notes
(Note- Cooking the scallops in oil vs. butter allows you to sear them at a higher temperature for optimal sear marks and will give you more control over creating your browned butter sauce without burning the butter).
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