recipes – nantucket bay scallops

Nantucket Bay Scallops are best cooked simply, or not at all! Here are a few favorite recipes provided by top chefs and local foodies on Nantucket.

Nantucket Bay Scallops with leeks and shallots (Pictured above)

Two large leeks, julienned (to resemble strands of eelgrass)
Two large shallots, julienned
2-3 tablespoons avocado oil
Two pounds of fresh Nantucket Bay Scallops, cleaned, with straps removed.
3-4 tablespoons of butter, cubed
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup dry white wine

This dish can be served over roasted spaghetti squash or mashed potatoes, which you will want to have warm and ready before you cook your scallops. In a large cast-iron pan, sauté the leeks and shallots over medium-high heat until fragrant and wilted. Reserve and keep warm. Increase heat (with more oil if needed) until pan smokes slightly and add half of the scallops which have been dried and dredged in flour. Sear on one side without moving the scallops for two minutes to light golden-brown sear, then shake the pan and sear on the other side for a minute. Do not overcook. Add scallops to the bowl with the leeks and shallots and sear the second half of the scallops. (Do not crowd the pan, or your scallops will steam instead of sear.) Once scallops are lightly seared and added to the bowl with the first half of the shallots, add white wine to the pan and deglaze. Whisk butter into the wine until a silky sauce is formed (with some help from the flour). Strain and reserve. Toss scallops, leeks, and shallots lightly. Serve scallops over roasted spaghetti squash or mashed potatoes with 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved butter wine sauce. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

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Sarah Leah Chase’ Thanksgiving Ceviche

It is a longstanding tradition in the Chase household to kick off Thanksgiving festivities with this simple and bright-tasting scallop ceviche.

1 pound Nantucket bay scallops, side straps removed
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into small dice
3 scallions, trimmed, white and tender green parts thinly sliced on a diagonal
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Sea salt

Place the scallops in a shallow nonreactive bowl and toss with the lime juice and olive oil. Gently fold in the jalapeno pepper, red pepper, scallions, and cilantro. Cover the ceviche and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight before serving.

When ready to serve, give everything a stir, taste for salt, and add a pinch if necessary. Transfer the ceviche to a decorative serving bowl. Serve chilled with small plates and cocktail forks alongside.
Serves 4 to 6

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Scallop and Ham, with Crisp Parma and Arugula
Chef Fred Bisaillon, Brant Point Grill

1 lb. Nantucket bay scallops
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. fresh ground black Pepper
4 oz. Parma ham cut into 2” squares
1 lemon cut into 4 wedges
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
½ lb. baby arugula

Season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat pan on medium-high heat, add olive oil, then place scallops in the pan. Let scallops cook (without moving them) for 30-45 seconds. Add butter to the pan, and turn off the heat. Move the scallops around the pan for another 15-20 seconds. They should be golden brown on one side, and butter should be brown but not burned. Spoon scallops and warmed oil/butter over the Arugula, and place Parma ham in the same pan for 20-30 seconds until warm, then place on top of scallops. Squeeze lemon wedges over the scallops. Serves 4.

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Chef’s Nantucket Bay Scallop KISS (Keep It Super Simple)
Island Private Chef, Dan Shaw

1 pound Nantucket Bay Scallops, straps removed
A high heat oil like grapeseed or avocado oil
Unsalted butter
Lemon
Salt and pepper

Heat a heavy bottom pan (preferably cast iron) on medium-high heat. Add enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil shimmers and moves freely in the pan, add scallops and spread out evenly. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Here’s the key: do not shake the pan(!). Cook for about 2 minutes, then give the pan a shake, admire the golden crispy sides, add a nob (about 2 tbs) of butter, and swirl the pan around. Turn off the heat, add a squeeze of lemon and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy. Serves 2-4.

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Bays & Barley
Island Private Chef, Dan Shaw

2 cups cooked barley (or other grain)
1 pound Nantucket Bay Scallops, straps removed
1/2 cup dried Nantucket cranberries, chopped
Diced roasted butternut squash
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons (more or less to taste) parsley and chives, chopped
Lemon juice
Butter

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Nantucket Bay Scallops with Mushrooms and Madeira
Island Private Chef, Dan Shaw

1 pound Nantucket Bay Scallops, straps removed
A high heat oil like grapeseed or avocado oil
1/2 cup Madeira wine
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cups assorted mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic

In a saute pan, cook mushrooms with sliced shallot and garlic in oil on medium heat, until the shallots are translucent and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper, and deglaze with Madeira. The mushrooms will absorb some of the wine. Cook until the alcohol is burned off and the wine is reduced slightly, leaving the mushrooms a little saucy. Remove from heat. Next, in a heavy bottom pan (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat, add enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil shimmers and moves freely in the pan, add scallops and spread evenly. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Once the scallops are crispy on one side, add the mushrooms and sauce. Remove from heat. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, and a touch of butter. Serve over rice, couscous, or pasta. Serves four.

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Nantucket Bay Scallop Escabeche
Island Private Chef, Dan Shaw

1 carrot, julienned
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound Nantucket Bay Scallops, straps removed
2-3 thyme sprigs
1/4 cup orange juice

Heat a heavy bottom pan (preferably cast iron) on medium-high heat. Add enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil shimmers and moves freely in the pan, add scallops and spread evenly. Don’t overcrowd the pan. When the scallops are crispy on one side, remove from the pan, and dispose of the oil. Add a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil to the same pan and cook sliced carrots and shallot until wilted and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Deglaze with the white vinegar and orange juice, and cook until the vinegar is no longer pungent and is balanced with the sweetness of the orange juice. Add the thyme and reserved, seared scallops. Bring to a quick simmer and remove from heat, season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice or couscous. Serves four.

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Nantucket Bay Scallop chowder with cabbage and bacon
Adapted from 50 Chowders by Chef Jasper White

4 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/3-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion (10-12 ounces) cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped (1 teaspoon)
1 dried bay leaf
1 1/2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
5 cups chicken stock (or fish stock)
8 ounces Savoy cabbage (1/2 small head, or 1/4 large head), cut into 1/2-inch dice
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds medium Nantucket Bay Scallops, straps removed
1 1/2 to 2 cups heavy cream
2-3 scallions, very thinly sliced for garnish

Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase heat to medium and cook until bacon is a crisp brown. Add butter, onions, thyme, and bay leaf and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 6 minutes, until onions are softened, but not browned. Add potatoes and stock. The stock should just barely cover the potatoes. If it doesn’t, add enough water to cover them. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil, cover and cook vigorously for about 6-7 minutes. Add diced cabbage, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for a few more minutes, or until potatoes are soft on the outside but still firm in their center. Season with salt and pepper. If the broth hasn’t thickened lightly, smash a few potatoes against the side of the pot and simmer 1 to 2 minutes longer to release their starch. Remove pot from heat and add the cream. Let sit for 15 minutes allowing the flavors to meld. Stir in scallops. Taste chowder and adjust salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Use a slotted spoon to mound scallops, potatoes, cabbage, and bacon in the center of large soup plates or shallow bowls, dividing them evenly, then ladle creamy broth around. Sprinkle generously with sliced scallions. Serves 6-8.