Seared Sea Scallops with Asparagus Rice & Creamy Lemon Saffron Sauce

This is a super easy recipe guaranteed to impress your guests! I was in Spain last year and stocked up on saffron so I’ve been working on different ways to use it. You can also get saffron at your local grocery store in the spice section. When you purchase it, be sure to buy saffron threads or strands. They are wispy looking and red in color. This recipe serves 4-6 depending on portion size.

Ingredients:

For the Rice:
1 package of white rice (cooked per the instructions)
1 T cumin
1 large pinch of saffron threads
1 package of pencil asparagus
Olive oil
1 T minced garlic
Salt & pepper

For the Sauce:
2 large pinches of saffron threads
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 t minced garlic
2 T cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup dry white wine
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt & pepper

For the Scallops:
1.5 lbs of fresh sea scallops
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
Salt & pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

Chop asparagus into small pieces (about 1 inch) and toss in a bowl with olive oil, minced garlic, salt & pepper. Move asparagus to a baking sheet lined with foil and roast in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Add asparagus in with the cooked rice, cumin, saffron & salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.

Now time to make your sauce! In a saucepan on medium heat, melt butter and add olive oil. Then add garlic and shallots and cook for about 3 minutes until the shallots are translucent. Next add your saffron and stir another minute until the sauce takes on a yellow color. Then add your white wine and lemon, stirring for 2 minutes. Then add heavy cream and salt & pepper to taste. Mix together for another few minutes so flavors are well blended. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the scallops, pat them dry and season with salt & pepper on both sides. Then heat a large pan with butter and olive oil on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot and butter is melted, add the scallops. Sear on both sides for about 3 minutes until browned. Tip: Be sure not to crowd the pan. It’s better to do multiple rounds of cooking rather than having too many scallops in the pan at once. Otherwise they won’t cook evenly.

Once scallops are fully cooked, remove from heat and plate your meal. Use a measuring cup to scoop and mold rice onto each plate in a dome. Then place scallops around the rice and drizzle sauce on top as desired. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!