Twice-Cooked Sous Vide Sea Scallops

Intro: Twice-Cooked Sous Vide Sea Scallops

Sea scallops are my favorite meat, but preparing them can be hit or miss. Since they are so delicate, scallops are often overcooked, and while they might remain sweet, this still results in a rubbery dish.  Cooking scallops en sous vide makes getting them perfect much easier. And they are perfect. Be careful if you try these -- you'll never enjoy scallops at a restaurant again.

In this recipe, I was generally inspired by Sous Vide Scallops at Believe the Lie, and Twice Cooked Scallops at Ideas in Food.

Here's the short form of the recipe:
Cook scallops with butter, salt, and pepper at 122 F
Chill the scallops in an ice bath
Sear the outside in very hot oil

STEP 1: What Is Sous Vide?

"Sous vide" is French for "under vacuum" and cooking en sous vide typically refers to vacuum packing ingredients, then cooking them under very strict temperature control. "Precision cooking" might be a more accurate term, but all gastronomical things tend to gravitate toward the French descriptions. When sealed in plastic, the aromatics cannot vaporize so flavors are more intense, and food can be cooked in water baths held at specific temperatures for long periods of time without the water soaking or otherwise changing the texture of the food. Sous vide is a food service technique that has been embraced by the world's best chefs, and with some equipment that is not outrageously expensive, you can duplicate some of their dishes.

My two favorite references for sous vide are Thomas Keller's Under Pressure and A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking by Douglas Baldwin.

STEP 2: Sous Vide Equipment

Restaurant and food service-level sous vide equipment can be quite expensive.  Since publishing my Sous Vide Beef Ribs and Sous Vide Venison Instructables, I have upgraded my equipment, but still managed to spend less than $400 for an at-home sous vide setup. I use:

Sous Vide Magic PID temperature controller purchased from Auber Instruments on Ebay
Winco ERC-50 25 cup commercial rice cooker1
FoodSaver Vac 300 Vacuum Sealing Kit
Propane torch

Update: since I purchased my equipment, Sous Vide Supreme has started making an all-in-one unit designed for home use.  The regular 10L unit is $400, and the still-quite-roomy 8.7L Demi is $300 - comparison here.

1 A rice cooker or electric kettle can also work; the variables are size of container, and speed of heating.  The key is to make sure your heating device doesn't have a brain, as the PID controller works by cycling the power on and off and you can't be resetting your crock pot each time.

STEP 3: Vaccum Pack the Scallops and Butter

Vacuum pack scallops, butter, salt, and pepper.  Without a chamber vacuum sealer, the colder each item is, the easier it will be to get it sealed as less liquid will be drawn into the sealer's channel.

STEP 4: Cook the Scallops

Cook the scallops at 122°F until they reach a uniform internal temperature.  Consult A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking time/thickness charts.  I cooked mine for 30 minutes.

STEP 5: Chill the Scallops

Chill the scallops in an ice bath.  Chilling in this way is reported to help set a custard-like interior, and prevent the scallops for dumping all their liquid when you sear them.

The scallops are now cooked, and you could eat them, but to finish and make them a masterpiece, you want to sear both sides.

STEP 6: Sear the Scallops

The scallops will have released some liquid into the plastic bag.  Remove and dry the scallops and reserve the liquid.

Heat a little bit of oil or butter until it is just smoking, and quickly sear the top and bottom of each scallop.  You are aiming to caramelize the surface without further cooking the interior.

After searing (or at the same time in another pan, as my pictures show), heat the reserved scallop-liquid and reduce it.  Don't try to reduce the liquid and sear the scallops in the same pan at the same time -- the liquid will keep the temperatures below proper searing levels, and you'll overcook the scallops.  The reduced liquid is delicious, and can be poured over the scallops or another accompanying dish.

STEP 7: Serve

Serve the scallops immediately.  Their flavor should be concentrated, and their texture soft without the need of a knife to cut cleanly through. 

Comments

[TomR149]

When I was new to this method, the advice could be overwhelming. Thanks for the simple instructions. They have worked every time!

[ele malone]

Can I reheat already cooked scallops?

[jobiswan]

Combine the juice from the bag with a little dry white wine and then reduce by 50-75% and tope the scallops with the reduction.

[jobiswan]

For the sear, a cast iron pan works great. Heat to 600 F.! 60 secs each side. Scallops should be at 122 F. before searing. If you have stored them, reheat in the water oven with water set to 122 F. Will take 30 mins. I would just do the primary cooking then do the sear last minute at time of service. A great alternate way to sear is a kitchen torch!

[jobiswan]

no need for ice water bath, just take them from water oven to sear. If you are doing these ahead of time, do use the ice water bath to quick chill, use within two days or freeze. All souse vide bagged foods, cooked or raw, should be stored below 36 degrees F.

[jobiswan]

Cook for 45 mins to ensure pasterization, will not change doneness

[jobiswan]

You can get a Sous Vide Supream Demi for $299 and have a real SV water oven

[ThinkBeforeYouSpeak]

My dad said you are overcooking them...

[ewilhelm]

I'd love for your dad to post his own en sous vide scallop recipe.  Does he suggest 121°F rather than 122°F?

[ThinkBeforeYouSpeak]

He said, "Why the cooking in the crockpot, to cook them, basically all you have to do is sear them and they are done".

[mad hatter503]

Well, yes, he is correct. However, searing leaves the seared sides a bit over-cooked. But I love 'em both ways!

[duckie68]

Seriously, you've got to try this out.  I've been sold on sous vide because of the incredible amount of control you have over the heating of the food.

I love a fast sear with an ultra-rare interior, Sea scallops need that Maillard reaction to give a hot, caramelized exterior but by slowly raising the internal temperature, you get those easily digested (read; tasty) proteins and an incredible texture variation to boot.

I gotta tell you, I've made enough sea scallops to get a perfect sear in a pinch, but when I really want to impress someone, this is the way to go.

Give it a shot, it's not a competition.  If you love good food you don't want to miss out.  I mean heck, I love deep fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but I still make the regular kind.

[ewilhelm]

Get your dad to try out some sous vide recipes; he'll love them.

[Jayefuu]

I too was under the impression that you seared the outside then gobbled them down.

[alaskanbychoice]

You can even eat scallops raw and they are delicious, very smooth and almost buttery. Though you do this at your own risk, I almost always have one raw when I make scallops cooked. Wrapped in bacon, quick seared or in any number of pasta dishes. Over cooking any food ruins it in my opinion. Even cooking fish and scallops with an acid such as lemons limes and orange juice with onions and a few oterh herbs and is terrific, add a little cognac to bring it up a notch. Ceviche is one version and Poke in Hawaii is another version.

[=SMART=]

I don't think i have ever had Scallops before !
I must try them, the pictures look delicious :)
What do they taste like ?

[Tool Using Animal]

There is no way to describe the flavor of scallops, the best you can do is a simile.

They are like being curled up with the one you love in front of a roaring fire with your dog at you feet while reading your favorite book. Except better.

[nachobobs]

We used to serve a dish with sous vide scallops at 75° for 6 mins, in the bag was butter and a tomato tea made from a consomme of tomatoes, onions and basil. Served with a tomato foam under a cooked and dried rice paper shell.

[ewilhelm]

75°C?

[nachobobs]

°celius yes