Pan-Fried Scallops with Crunchy Apple Salad Recipe by Gordon Ramsay

This is probably the fastest “fancy” salad you’ll ever have the opportunity to make. There are only seven ingredients in all and almost everything is easy to find. The only area you may have difficulty is with the scallops themselves. With supermarkets stocked with the frozen version though, you really shouldn’t have any problem getting what you need.

The Recipe

Any recipe that includes pan-fried scallops is automatically good. That’s a given. The thing is, a delicious bedding should accompany the seafood, so a bit of creativity and work needs to be taken advantage of. In the case of this recipe, that part is really fast and easy. I used a Boston lettuce to complement some granny smith apple slices and a nice olive oil and lemon juice dressing. The flavors of the scallops blended very well with the rest of the ingredients, making for a tasty and satisfying salad.

Ingredients

Serves: 2

6 Large Scallops
Regular Olive Oil
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Head Boston Lettuce
1 Lemon
1 Granny Smith Apple, Cored and Sliced Julienne
Salt
Ground Black Pepper

Step-by-Step Instructions

I’d like to thank the one and only Gordon Ramsay for this recipe. I’ve been considering purchasing a few of his cookbooks, but decided to try some of his recipes that are available online first. I’ve always been a huge fan of his cooking style, food choices and technique, so it’s an honor for me to attempt to imitate his genius.

I do want to mention that Gordon uses lamb’s lettuce in his version of this recipe. Because this isn’t available at my local grocery store here in Maine, I decided to substitute it with Boston lettuce. The lettuce I chose is velvety soft and tender, so I think I made a good choice in this regard.

Prep the Lettuce

Trim the stem from the lettuce and tear the leaves into pieces that measure about 2 to 3 inches across. Place them in a large bowl.

Cut the Apple Julienne

Cut the apple in half lengthwise. Then, cut those halves in half the same direction. Cutting the apple this way should give you good access to the core. Cut the entire core form the apple.

Next, cut each piece of the apple into slices about 1/8 thick. Then, lay about 5 slices stacked on their sides. Cut the slices into matchstick sized pieces. Continue on until you’re finished with all the apple pieces and place the result in a bowl.

Finish the Salad

Add the apple slices to the bowl that contains the lettuce. Then, zest half of the lemon on top of the salad. Grind the equivalent of a few pinches of black pepper on the salad and ad a few pinches of salt as well. Finally, squeeze the juice of half a lemon on the lettuce and then drizzle about 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil over everything.

Toss all these ingredients together well.

Pan Fry the Scallops

Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan over high heat. When the pan is to temperature, add 1 tablespoon of regular olive oil. Don’t add the oil first or else it will burn. Next, add the scallops, season with salt and pepper, and let the first side cook for about a minute and a half, or until there is a nice sear on the side facing the pan. After this time, flip each scallop, season and cook for the same time.

When the scallops are finished, scoop them out and place them in a plate to cool off a bit. You can drizzle some lemon juice on top of them if you wish.

Plate & Serve

Divide the salad between two plates. Then, add three (or half) of the scallops to the top of the salads. Serve and enjoy.

The Final Scallop, Boston Lettuce & Apple Salad

For a seafood dish, this was very straightforward. Mixing the scallops with the lettuce and apple was a good idea. I’ll definitely prepare this recipe again. Thanks for reading!