Golden Seared Scallops over Brown Rice with a Lemon Broth Sauce

Ingredients

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• 1 lb dry-packed sea scallops, side muscle removed; buy scallops whose label lists only scallops, with no phosphate or sodium added
• 2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice, cooked in unsalted water
• 3 cups chopped broccoli, raw
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tbsp water to steam the broccoli

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Cook the brown rice ahead, in unsalted water, by its package; here water boils at about 203 °F, so give it a taste for tenderness before you stop. Keep it warm, covered.
2. 2Take the scallops from the fridge 10 minutes early. Pull off the small tough side muscle if one is still on. Spread them over a folded paper towel, top with a second one, and press gently. Dry scallops brown; wet ones steam and turn grey.
3. 3Put the broccoli and the 3 tbsp water in a 12-inch skillet, cover, and steam over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes, until bright green and just tender. Tip it onto a plate, toss it with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, and keep it warm. Wipe the skillet dry.
4. 4Set the skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp of the oil. When the oil shimmers, lay in the scallops in one layer with room between them (two batches if they touch). Sprinkle half the salt and half the pepper over the tops. Leave them alone 2 minutes, until the underside is deep golden, then flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Move them to a plate.
5. 5Scallops are done when they are milky white or opaque and firm; the safe minimum for fish and shellfish is 145 °F (USDA). A scallop pulled a minute early is better than one a minute late, because they turn rubbery fast.
6. 6Turn the heat to medium. Stir the garlic powder into the empty pan for 15 seconds, then pour in the broth and lemon juice, scraping up the brown bits. Boil hard about 2 minutes, until it is reduced by about half. Take the pan off the heat.
7. 7Whisk in the last 1 tbsp of oil, the rest of the salt and pepper, and the parsley. The oil thickens the sauce slightly as it cools.
8. 8Divide the rice among four plates, lay the broccoli beside it, set the scallops on the rice, and spoon the sauce over all. Serve right away.