Sautéed scallops with mushrooms & spinach sauce

Sautéed scallops with mushrooms & spinach sauce

A quick, impressive dish that's easy to prepare and cook, creating stacks of flavour within minutes

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 5 mins

Method

  1. Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan. Once sizzling, add the mushrooms and fry for just a min or two before adding the spinach. Cook on a high heat for about 1 min, allowing the leaves to wilt and soften. Drain the leaves and mushrooms in a sieve or small colander set over a bowl, pressing them gently in the sieve to release the juices (the juices will provide the base for the sauce, so don't discard them). Keep warm to one side.
  2. Heat the oil in a separate clean frying pan. When very hot, add the scallops. Sauté for a couple of mins without disturbing them at all, then add a knob of butter to the pan. Turn the scallops, season with salt and pepper, then baste with the sizzling butter. Continue to cook for a further couple of mins until the scallops are ready.
  3. While sautéing the scallops, return the saved spinach juices to the pan the spinach and mushrooms were cooked in, then whisk in the remaining knob of butter to create the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and a grating of nutmeg.
  4. Now finish in style: Arrange spinach and mushrooms on plates or in bowls, sit the scallops on top, then spoon the nutmeg spinach sauce around.
Try

Adding flavours

A squeeze of lemon or lime juice can be added to the butter sauce. Or wholegrain mustard; just ½-1 tsp, can be whisked into the sauce to replace the nutmeg.

Cooking scallops

Don't pre-season the scallops before cooking as the salt draws the moisture out of them and gives them a tight texture. It is best to season with salt once they have been sealed in the pan.

Per serving

264 kcalories, protein 25g, carbohydrate 2g, fat 18 g, saturated fat 9g, fibre 2g, sugar 1g, salt 1,59 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2006.

Try 3 issues of Good Food magazine for £3 - subscribe now!

Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo dnolan

    15 November 2007

    dnolan rated this recipe

    5 stars

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Wellsa's

    07 February 2008

    Wellsa's rated this recipe

    5 stars

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Blueflame

    17 February 2008

    Blueflame commented on this recipe

    Very quick and tasty dish!

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Gbobs

    23 March 2008

    Gbobs rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    true to form I didnt have all the ingredients!! but the recipe gave me ideas! Had the scallops of course, added chestnut mushrooms according to recipe. Also then added chopped onions till lightly brown, bit of garlic. Then added a touch of white wine and cream with plenty of salt and pepper. Laid out the mixture on the plate and then topped with the scallops was delicious! Sprinkle of fresh parsley on top mmmmmm

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo ljwarrington

    25 March 2008

    ljwarrington rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    was a beautiful starter for my best friend's birthday meal - lovely. though found it difficult to get them looking tasty and brown.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo TBJ

    09 April 2008

    TBJ rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    This was not only excellent, it was very easy (as opposed to the moderately easy rating). I served it with a little rice for starch.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Kathryn

    26 September 2008

    Kathryn rated this recipe

    5 stars

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo SuzyJ

    08 February 2009

    SuzyJ rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delicious, and easy. Was the first time I've ever cooked scallops and found this a perfect introduction!

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Jittra

    15 February 2009

    Jittra rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    It was really easy and looked impressive! I had a hard time trying to get the juice out of the mushrooms/spinach though. Maybe because my spinach was really dry (spinach salad) and I didn't wash it before. Yummy nonetheless!

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Vic

    16 February 2009

    Vic rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Scallops, yes. Spinach and nutmeg, yes. Mushrooms, hmmm. Wasn't sure about needing them, but the end result was superb, and the sauce very rich and buttery. Got a good colour on the scallops by having the heat at what I'd think would be too hot, but all good. Would possibly try again without the shrooms, and with some lardons or similar.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Ian Cole

    26 August 2009

    Ian Cole rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very nice quick and easy

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Tony

    02 May 2010

    Tony rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I love the taste of this dish. It's now one of my favourite starters

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo iburgess81

    10 July 2010

    iburgess81 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Great easy dish. Handy starter for a dinner party.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Gwen

    04 December 2010

    Gwen rated this recipe

    5 stars

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Sparkler

    23 January 2011

    Sparkler rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    Surprisingly easy to make considering I've never cooked Scallops before.I served it with rice.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Jenny Piccolo

    08 February 2011

    Jenny Piccolo rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    Felt it needed bacon, so a bit lacking in flavour. Individual elements ok though

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Lawrence

    13 February 2011

    Lawrence rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Breathtaking starter for a special dinner.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo vics

    16 February 2011

    vics rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    made this for my husband for his valentines meal and he loved it very quick and easy to make will definitely make this again

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Karen

    19 February 2011

    Karen rated this recipe

    5 stars

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Karen

    19 February 2011

    Karen rated this recipe

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Leave a comment or suggestion

You must sign in or register to leave a comment.

Sign in / Register

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 5 mins

So quick to prepare

Ingredients

  • 3 big knobs of butter
  • 100g mushrooms , sliced (button, chestnut or cleaned wild)
  • 100g spinach , stems trimmed and washed
  • 2 tsp groundnut oil
  • 6 good-sized scallops , shelled and cleaned (with or without corals)
  • nutmeg , for grating
Print this recipe
Add to your binder

Per serving

264 kcalories, protein 25g, carbohydrate 2g, fat 18 g, saturated fat 9g, fibre 2g, sugar 1g, salt 1,59 g

Advertisement

Your binder

Here are three other great reasons why to sign up:

  • You get an online binder, where you can store all your favourite recipes and create menus.
  • You can add your own recipes to this site for others to try; plus, rate and make comments on recipes, and share your views on our blog.

Follow Good Food

Advertisement

All about Good Food

Magazine

Good Food Magazine

Subscribe to Good Food magazine - enjoy 100+ triple-tested recipes delivered to your door, every month.

Order today, save up to 25%

On TV

Foodie TV

See your favourite chefs on Sky Channel 249, Virgin TV 260 and find their recipes at goodfoodchannel.co.uk.

Good Food Apps

Good Food Apps

For Good Food on the go, download our apps to your phone or portable device.
Find out more here