Tried a new way to sear scallops and it totally backfired

I was working a dinner service last week and decided to try a tip I read about, searing scallops in a mix of half butter and half grapeseed oil. The idea was to get the butter flavor with a higher smoke point. I got my pan super hot, dropped the scallops in, and they just steamed. No crust at all, just this sad, pale look. I mean, I was sure I patted them dry, but maybe the oil ratio was off? It took me two more tries to figure out that with my particular pans, which are pretty thin, I need to use almost all oil and just finish with a cold butter baste at the very end. The first batch was a total loss, maybe 12 big sea scallops. Has anyone else had a searing method just fail on them out of nowhere with a different pan?

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3 Comments

jessec356mo ago

Thin pans are the worst, @ruby_murphy, I've made that same mistake lol.

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ruby_murphy6mo ago

Thin pans are the worst for searing, they lose heat the second food hits them. You basically need to treat them like a non-stick and use way more oil than feels right.

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brookep276mo ago

Learned that the hard way with a cheap pan I bought. My attempt at a steak looked like it was boiled, not seared.

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