Brown Buttered Scallops Over Creamy Polenta with Samantha Ferraro of The Little Ferraro Kitchen

Recipe by Samantha Ferraro of The Little Ferraro Kitchen

"Recipes cooked with local ingredients from fishermen I have personally met is a true highlight," beams Samantha. Bellingham local, author of The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen, and founder of the food blog, The Little Ferraro Kitchen, Samantha's recipes have been featured in PBS Food, The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, Babble, Yummly, and The Washington Post.

Scallops

• 5-6 wild scallops

• Kosher salt 

• Ground black pepper

• 2 Tbsp olive oil + more for garnish

• 2 Tbsp butter, divided

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped + more for garnish

• Zest of ½ lemon

• Juice of ½ lemon

Polenta

• 3 ½ cups vegetable stock

• 1 cup polenta

• ½ cup milk

• 1 tablespoon butter

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• ½ tsp Kosher salt

• Ground black pepper

Bring vegetable stock to a boil and once boiling, whisk in the polenta. 

Continue whisking until the polenta thickens, then turn off the heat. 

Whisk in the milk, butter, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper, and continue whisking until the butter has melted and a polenta is creamy. Once done, set aside.

For the scallops, dry the scallops very well and season with salt and pepper.

Bring up a cast iron skillet to high heat and drizzle in olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Once melted, sear the scallops on each side until a deep golden crust forms, about 1-2 minutes per side, then set the scallops aside. 

Lower the heat in the cast-iron and add another tablespoon of butter and chopped garlic. Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, chopped fresh parsley, and stir to combine to make a pan sauce. 

When ready to serve, spread a generous layer of polenta at the bottom of a plate, and a top with seared scallop and drizzle of brown butter pan sauce. Garnish with more fresh chopped parsley and fresh lemon zest and serve.