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Pan-Seared Scallops with Cayenne Chocolate Sauce

Pan-seared scallops served with a cayenne-infused chocolate sauce.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 7 ingredients
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Why it works: Pepper and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,122 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

Pan-Seared Scallops with Cayenne Chocolate Sauce

Time30 seconds per side

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the scallops

  1. Sprinkle scallops with salt and black pepper.

  2. Melt butter in a large stainless steel skillet over medium heat.

  3. Place scallops in skillet and cook 30 seconds per side.

  4. Remove scallops and put on a platter.

Make the sauce and serve

  1. Whisk together chocolate and cayenne pepper.

  2. Drizzle sauce on individual plates.

  3. Place scallops on top of the sauce.

  4. Garnish with fresh parsley.

  5. Serve.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

369Calories
26 gProtein
21 gFat
20 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Chocolate1 oz (28g) semisweet155
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Shrimp100g cooked99
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Cayenne1 tsp (1.8g)6
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together34,122 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  2. Butter + parsleytop 15% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together28,563 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).

  3. Butter + chocolatetop 16% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together10,543 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).

  4. Scallop + buttertop 19% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together160 recipes

    Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).

  5. Pepper + buttertop 21% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together85,593 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Sea scallops
Main protein; a quick sear browns the outside while the centre stays tender.
Bittersweet chocolate
Provides bitterness and richness, forming the base of the sauce.
Cayenne pepper
Adds heat that contrasts with the sweetness and depth of the chocolate.
Butter
Fat for the pan that carries heat evenly and adds browning and flavour.

The step that matters

Searing the scallops. Scallops need a hot, dry surface and only about 30 seconds per side. Overcooking makes them rubbery, and crowding the pan drops the temperature so they steam instead of browning.

Swap the parsley

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (scallop, pepper, butter, chocolate):

  1. Parsleythe original
  2. Nutmegfits about as well
  3. Cinnamonfits about as well
  4. Thymefits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against scallop, pepper, butter, chocolate. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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