Scallops are nutritional powerhouses with up to 1300 mg of omega-3 fatty acids in one serving! This alone makes scallops one of the very best sources of protein for anyone targeting inflammation.
You absolutely can pan-sear your scallops but this recipe gives roasting instructions so it's pretty hands off. For AIP, olive oil is an excellent compliment to seafood and you only need sea salt to bring out the subtle sweet, richness of fresh scallops.
A note on freshness, please be sure to feel and smell your scallops. Fresh scallops should smell like the ocean. Scallops that are slimy or fishy in smell are going bad.
Which Scallops To Buy
Look for dry-packed large sea scallops (as opposed to wet-packed) so you can get them to develop a little golden color. For reference, scallops may be referred to as U/10 or U/12 to indicate their size (with the 10 being the larger size because it would only take 10 scallops to equal 1 pound).
In this recipe, I serve them with the zest and juice of an orange and lemon juice. However, you really could just serve them as-is or with a small spritz of lemon juice. There is ginger juice in the recipe because it's anti-inflammatory and a nice spicy substitute for black pepper (not AIP). As an alternative to fresh ginger, you could also try adding finely grated fresh garlic which is also spicy and anti-inflammatory.
If you are familiar with seafood, scallops are like most seafood, in that they really need only be cooked with olive oil and salt to bring out their delicate flavor. I hope you fall in love with this cooking method for scallops.
Looking for an AIP Side?
Cauliflower is a great vegetable side because it's not over-powering and you can try a puree or mashed cauliflower to go underneath these scallops. A quick sautéed kale would also go nicely with the flavors of lemon, orange, and ginger in this dish.
This scallop recipe was developed for my sister site The Frayed Apron but originally included butter. If you are reintroducing dairy, you could try this recipe with ghee or grass-fed butter.
AIP ROAST SCALLOPS WITH CITRUS
Ingredients
- 16 large sea scallops approximately 2 pounds
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 small orange zested and juiced*
- 1 small lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated finely then squeezed for juice*
- Fresh tarragon or parsley finely sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Roast the scallops. Preheat the oven to 425F. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and put them in a bowl. Toss with oil and a couple pinches of salt. Place coated scallops on a sheet tray in a single layer with some room between each scallop. Roast until slightly golden on top, about 20 minutes.
- Garnish and serve. In a small bowl, combine the orange zest and juice, lemon juice, and ginger juice. Spoon over the scallops and serve with fresh tarragon or parsley.
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