FOOD NEWS
Why You Should Think Twice Before Cooking Scallops In Butter
BY BRIAN UDALL
For well-seared scallops, you need the pan to start off ripping hot. However, butter's smoke point, at 350 degrees F, is well below the temperature your pan needs to reach.
Consequently, butter's milk solids will quickly start to burn, resulting in black spots on the scallops that don't add anything worthwhile to the flavor.
It's better to use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as extra virgin olive oil at 350-410 degrees F, or even ghee, which has a smoke point of 485 degrees F.