ON THIS WEEK’S episode of Dinner SOS, food director and host Chris Morocco and associate food editor Kendra Vaculin are here to help caller Rachel recreate restaurant-level scallops at home.
Rachel and her boyfriend love chef Gordon Ramsey so much they made a pilgrimage to his Hell’s Kitchen restaurant in Las Vegas, where they had the best scallops of their lives—they were expertly seared, not overcooked, and served with a buttery garlic sauce. They have attempted to replicate them at home, only to fail to reach burnished scallop perfection. Rachel happens to work in the same office building as the Bon Appétit test kitchen, so we invited her up for a scallop bootcamp with Kendra as her trusted guide.
To help set Rachel up for scallop success, Kendra and Chris gave a few more pointers: Pat the scallops dry, salt them before cooking, and then sear them almost entirely on one side before flipping to keep them from sticking to the pan. They suggest some recipes—Garlicky Buttery Scallops from Chris and Scallops and Chorizo in Tomato Sauce from Kendra. Listen now to hear how Rachel fares up in the test kitchen and whether when back at home, she’s able to achieve the scallops of her dreams.