An elegant seafood entrée featuring sweet lobster and golden seared scallops finished with a silky saffron cream sauce. Beautiful enough for a restaurant plate, but surprisingly simple to prepare.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the seafood
- 2 lobster tails, 5–6 oz. each
- 8 large sea scallops
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For the saffron cream sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup seafood stock
- Generous pinch saffron threads
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt and white pepper, to taste
For serving
- Roasted asparagus or other seasonal vegetables
- Fresh herbs or microgreens
- Lemon wedges
Preparation
Bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the lobster tails and cook for about 4–5 minutes, just until the meat begins to turn opaque. Remove, cool slightly and carefully take the meat from the shells. Cut each tail in half lengthwise.
Pat the scallops very dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallops without crowding the pan and sear, undisturbed, for about 2 minutes. Flip and cook another 1–2 minutes until beautifully caramelized and just opaque in the center. Remove from the pan.
Reduce heat slightly and add butter. Place the lobster meat in the skillet and sauté for 1–2 minutes, basting with the butter. Finish with fresh lemon juice.
Saffron Cream Sauce
Melt butter in a small saucepan and sauté the shallot until softened. Add the white wine and simmer until reduced by about half.
Add seafood stock and saffron and simmer for 3–4 minutes, allowing the saffron to infuse the sauce. Stir in the heavy cream and gently simmer until slightly thickened.
Finish with lemon juice and season with salt and white pepper.
To Serve
Spoon the saffron cream sauce onto each plate. Arrange the lobster, seared scallops and asparagus over the sauce. Garnish with fresh herbs or microgreens.
Frugé tip: The secret to that restaurant-quality golden crust on scallops is simple—get them very dry before they hit a very hot pan, and don’t move them while they sear.