This recipe is special enough for a celebration meal or suited for a more practical weeknight supper. Aside from being delicious, one of the best parts is that it can be cooked and on the table in 15-minutes.

I use homemade apricot jam crafted by my mom. Her jam tends to have less sugar than commercially prepared varieties. With his in mind, be sure to taste your jam prior to adding it to the dish. The heat and flavor of the red pepper flakes will help balance out the jam’s sweetness.  

Dry sea scallops are preferred for this recipe.

Serves 2 as a light supper.

Ingredients

10 large dry sea scallops 

1 tablespoon apricot jam

2 cups baby spinach, stems removed

1 medium lemon, cut in two

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 medium shallot, minced

2 tablespoons of ghee (clarified butter)

Sea salt and white pepper to taste

Directions

In a small bowl add the jam, the juice of half the lemon, red pepper flake and mix to combine. Set aside.

Lightly season the sea scallops on both sides with sea salt and white pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet (I prefer cast-iron skillet) add 1 heaping tablespoon of ghee over high heat. When the ghee has melted and the pan is hot add the sea scallops, making sure each scallop touches the bottom of the pan. Careful not to overcrowd the pan or the scallops will steam instead of browning.

Cook for 1 ½ minutes on one side, then turn and cook on the other side for 1 minute. 

Turn the heat down to medium high and add the minced shallot. Shake the pan to settle the shallot on the bottom and cook until fragrant. 

Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the pan to deglaze then add 1 tablespoon of ghee, give the pan a shake then add the apricot jam mixture along with the spinach. Cook for 1 minute then turn off the heat.

To serve, artfully spoon a little of the spicy apricot sauce to the bottom two plates. Add the sea scallops and serve immediately. 

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