I was sent a lovely note from blog reader, Carol, requesting a recipe for scallops with a lovely fruity sauce. It’s a dish from Blackfin Bistro, a restaurant in Key West, but sadly they no longer have it on the menu. Don’t you hate that? Fall in love with a restaurant’s dish and then it disappears from the menu!
Fortunately for me, I love a challenge of replicating a restaurant dish….and so do many others! Check out my friend Stephanie’s website, CopyKat Recipes. I’ve recreated Carabba’s herby-garlicky bread dip, Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad and one day I’ll figure out how to make Outback’s Bloomin’ Onion without setting off the smoke alarm.
So, Carol, here’s a recipe for you – hopefully it will come close to what you once ordered. It’s got all elements of a good dish – salty, savory, sweet, tangy and buttery. Big thanks to Adam and Joanne for this recipe!
Scallops with Apricot Sauce
Here’s what you’re going to need:
Start by patting each scallop dry with a paper towel so they sear nicely when cooked.
Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, add some olive oil then add the scallops. Once the scallops are in the pan, try not to move them until they have a nice brown crust, this will take about 2 minutes. Next, flip and cook until the second side is also seared.
While the scallops cook, make the sauce. Add grated or finely minced ginger to some olive oil over medium heat. Cook until the ginger just begins to brown.
Then, add the apricot jam.
Add a some soy sauce and the butter.
and if the sauce is really thick, a tablespoon or so of water to thin it out a bit.
Serve the scallops on top of rice or alongside vegetables with a drizzle of apricot sauce.
Scallop with Apricot Sauce
Ingredients
FOR THE SCALLOPS
- 12 large scallops patted dry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated or finely minced ginger
- 1/2 cup apricot jam
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons water
- salt and pepper
- 1 lime
FOR THE CILANTRO LIME RICE
- 1 cup rice grains + water to cook
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package instructions then toss with cilantro, lime zest and lime juice.
- 2.Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Season both sides of each scallop with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan then add scallops and cook 1-2 minutes on both sides, until a golden brown crust forms and the centers are slightly translucent.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a medium skillet. Add ginger and cook about 30 seconds until it begins to brown. Add jam and soy sauce, stir until combined and heated through. If the sauce is too thick, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin the sauce.
- Serve scallops over rice with a drizzle of apricot sauce and a spritz of fresh lime juice.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
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This is so creative.
Jaden, being a longtime opponent of not setting off the smoke detector and deep-frying chicken wings, let me explain that the first weapon in your arsenal is a mid-sized box fan that will fit in your kitchen window. Set to to draw air out of your kitchen, (and make your whole neighborhood hungry!) and the smoke detector won’t go off. I’ll even do this in January (sub-zero conditions) and blame the local restaurants. Smoke detectors won’t go off. I did 50 pounds of chicken wings one time, so I’m sure. A good box fan, got at end-of-season, is maybe $10.
Wow… I’m blown away at how well the apricot sauce went with the scallops. Great recipe!
Very good recipe. it’s fantastic.
wasn’t sure about trying this recipe (scallops w apricot sauce) but was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it , only had a lemon at the time but a very tasty recipe .
Thanks so much Adrian!
I tried this recipe and it turned out great. Thanks Jaden!
Thanks so much Warren! – jaden
These look amazing Jaden! I hope my rendition comes close to yours, want to make these for my wife and myself next date night. Thanks for the recipe!
I can’t wait to make this for my daughters !! It looks so delicious and I needed more recipes because we don’t eat meat anymore. So thank you very much.
Hey, why is ginger part of the recipe? Apologies if my question sounds dumb. But my sister prepares scallops without ginger and I was wondering if I could leave it out.
Yes you can leave it out. – Jaden
Hi I made the recipe for scallops with apricot sauce and they were the hit of the dinner party.thanks you for this great recipe
Sounds so yummy
Wow… I’m blown away at how well the apricot sauce went with the scallops. Great recipe! I’m also wondering what else I could pair the apricot sauce with, because it was extremely good.
I love the apricot sauce! Thank you for the recipe!
In things needed there is butter. What is that for?
Sorry about that! I’ve fixed recipe.
I love this recipe. Lucas Ferguson we like the sauce over rice pilaf, it’s also good with chicken cut up and cooked with some rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Instead of water I use a little white wine to thin the sauce. Thank you Jaden.
Thanks so much!!!! -Jaden
Looks great. Initial “HERES WHAT YOURE GOING TO NEED” section shows butter is needed, but the ingredients and steps don’t appear to include how or when to use it. Going to try this one with scallops.
** If you don’t like scallops, there are several mean Apricot Chicken recipes out there and they are, like this one, pretty easy to make and definite keepers! Cheers!
I love scallops so I made this recipe and liked it very much. Also, I really like the fact that I can see in an instant what I need to make this recipe. It is really helpful if you are using an iPhone or scrambling in the kitchen with an iPad etc. More scallop/fish recipes….Thanks Jaden
Terri, You could substitute cilantro with fresh parsley or even fresh basil.
Sounds wonderful…I will be making this very soon!
The scallop recipe sounds yummy, but I’m not a fan of cilantro. Can you suggest a substitution?
I used sweet basil.
wow its more like a chunk of beef. very interesting meal i think the sauce is the best finale.
This post kicks butt! Look at those perfect scallops! I am going to do some skewers this way and glaze with that sauce at the end.
0-0 Lovely and delicious looking except…i don’t think I’ve ever seen such huge scallops…where can I buy them?
I think the size of the scallops depend on where you live, because I don’t believe you can buy them in the non coastal super markets. I am fortunate to live in Delaware and buy from folks who come up from Virginia with North Carolina seafood. The ones I buy from them are huge, dry scallops. Or, if you don’t live along the coast, perhaps a store like Whole Foods would have them. But please remember to always buy the un brined, dry scallops for best results. Hope this helps.
Those look like the most perfect scallops I’ve ever seen. I hope I can do them justice!
What a lovely combination! Scallops are heaven to me – and yours look perfectly seared!
I do not like scallops, so what else can you use this apricot sauce for ???? Sounds great…..
Scallops and apricot sauce! What a lovely combination
Ahhhh, the boy would LOVE this! He hearts scallops.
The scallops look PERFECT! :)seared scallops…yum!
Yes I hate when that happens at a restaurant. I was begining to wonder if I have indiviual taste that nobody else likes so they take it off the menu! 🙂 We make cilantro rice all the time, my daughter loves it so I taught her how to make it! This dish looks amazing, I love copykat recipes! Thanks for sharing this one!