Recipes Dinner Seafood Main Course Shellfish Main Course Seared Scallops with Pomegranate and Meyer Lemon 4.5 (2) 2 Reviews Fresh lemon, orange, and pomegranate juices paired with serrano chile bring heat and fresh, fruity flavor to sweet scallops. By Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto is a recipe tester and developer. Anna has been working in Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2017, and her recipes and writing have appeared in over 10 nationally distributed print publications, as well as on various digital platforms. When not in the kitchen, Anna enjoys hiking with her son, husband, and two dogs, and fostering puppies for a local animal rescue group. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 2, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Servings: 4 At Bavel in Los Angeles, Chef Ori Menashe serves shallow bowls of scallop aguachile, and diners can't get enough. "It's a roller-coaster flavor journey — sweet, sour, spicy, crunchy, soft, aromatic, floral, smoky, savory from the salt. So many things going on!" Menashe says. Our riff on his raw dish sends scallops to the skillet for a quick sear before serving them with pomegranate arils, cucumbers, orange segments, and lemon segments. Quickly searing the scallops ensures each one has the perfect texture: a lightly crisp, golden brown exterior and a tender, nearly translucent center. Ingredients 1 cup refrigerated pomegranate juice 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided ½ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice ⅓ cup fresh navel orange juice ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 20 large sea scallops (about 1 1/2 pound), side muscles removed, scallops patted dry ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 cup pomegranate arils 2 small Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup) ¾ cup navel orange segments 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon segments 1 tablespoon unseeded fresh serrano chile slices (optional) 1 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish Toasted lavash bread, for serving Directions Bring pomegranate juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Boil, undisturbed, until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Add sugar and 1 teaspoon salt; stir until dissolved. Transfer to a medium bowl; chill until mixture reaches room temperature, about 30 minutes. Pour lemon juice and orange juice through a fine wire-mesh strainer into pomegranate mixture; stir to combine, and refrigerate until ready to use. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 14-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle scallops evenly with black pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook scallops until golden brown on 1 side, about 4 minutes. Quickly flip scallops; cook 15 seconds. Divide scallops evenly among 4 shallow bowls; let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Arrange pomegranate arils, cucumbers, orange segments, and lemon segments evenly around scallops. Carefully pour 1/3 cup chilled pomegranate mixture around inside edge of each bowl so juice runs to bottom of bowl without covering scallops. Top servings evenly with serrano slices, if using. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil evenly over scallop mixture; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Garnish with cilantro, and serve with lavash. Make Ahead Pomegranate reduction can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator. Originally appeared: March 2021 Rate It Print