Boost Your Next Scallop Dish With A Simmer In Some Bourbon
Scallops are the perfect dish for seafood lovers and skeptics alike. Shaped like voluptuous marshmallows, they have no eyes or scales for the squeamish, yet they still deliver a mild, briny flavor sure to tickle your seafood craving. The airy texture of scallops is particularly divine when paired with a crispy, buttery crust — and we just learned of another way to deepen the flavor profile of this relatively uncomplicated seafood treat: bourbon.
Booze, certainly not a brown spirit, is not typically the first thing you think of when looking for flavor profiles to go along with your scallops. However, we spoke with Russell Kook, the Executive Chef at The Bellevue Chicago, who completely changed the way we think of scallop pairings. To add more flavor, people usually wrap their scallops in bacon or sear them in butter with herbs sprinkled on top, but Chef Kook lauds the powers of bourbon as a flavor enhancer.
It makes sense that the oak-forward, vanilla notes in bourbon pair would perfectly with the subtly sweet notes in the scallops — this is why you will see some chefs glaze their scallops with honey. Cooking scallops in bourbon is mercifully easy. All you need to do is add a few ounces to your glaze or to the butter in your skillet and heat it over medium-high until the butter has melted, then proceed to cook the scallops as usual. Be sure to keep these 14 scallop cooking tips in mind when you're ready to experiment with bourbon.
Scallop flavor success lies in balance
Although delicate, scallops are a relatively simple ingredient. They may be the star of the dish, but in reality, the scallop flavor plays more of a supporting role. While bourbon is a great addition to the recipe bill, Chef Kook recommends keeping your dish balanced. "Bourbon has a bold and rich flavor profile, so it's crucial to find balance," Kook explains. "Adding some acidity, like a splash of lemon juice, cider vinegar, or even a fruit-forward reduction, can cut through the richness and highlight the natural sweetness of the scallops."
Because you're working with a couple of ounces of bourbon or, at most, a quarter cup, you don't need to do much to offset the strong flavors of the bourbon. In fact, Kook offers another suggestion that will keep the flavors from overpowering one another. "Acid is your best friend with scallops," he reveals. "It brightens the dish and enhances the fresh, oceanic flavor of the seafood."
Additionally, Chef Kook shared some more creative ways to add a little zest to your scallop dish, including tart and tangy yuzu or the fruity, molasses-flavored balsamic vinegar — both of which add a more complex layer of flavor to your dish. To finish things off, he notes that we should season the dish with salt and top it with freshly chopped herbs (we recommend basil, thyme, or even some tarragon). For more inspiration, check out these 8 scallop recipes that we love.