Equipment
Ingredients
Seafood
- 400 g scallops, dry-packed, side muscle removed
- 300 g langoustine tails, shelled and cleaned
- 300 g prawns, raw, peeled, deveined
Pasta & Sauce
- 400 g linguine pasta, dry
- 30 ml olive oil, extra virgin
- 100 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 4 garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 120 ml dry white wine, pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- kosher salt
- black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 855 kcal
- Protein
- 55 g
- Carbohydrates
- 84 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 808 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 199 mg
- Potassium
- 1014 mg
- Calcium
- 150 mg
- Iron
- 6.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 162 mg
- Phosphorus
- 849 mg
- Zinc
- 7.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 210 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 16 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 68 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.93 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.44 mg
- Niacin
- 8.0 mg
- Folate
- 265 mcg
- Water
- 265 g
- Alcohol
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente, about 9 to 10 minutes. Reserve 100ml of starchy pasta water before draining.
Thoroughly pat the scallops, langoustine tails, and prawns dry with paper towels. Season all the seafood lightly on both sides with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large stainless steel skillet over high heat until it begins to shimmer and lightly smoke. Carefully add the scallops and langoustines, ensuring they do not touch. Sear undisturbed for 1.5 to 2 minutes per side until a deep golden-brown crust forms, checking for an internal temperature of 54°C/130°F for the scallops. Remove from the pan and set aside on a warm plate.
Lower the skillet heat to medium. Add 15g of the cold cubed butter to the pan. Once melted, add the finely diced shallot, minced garlic, and the raw prawns. Sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently with tongs, until the prawns just begin to curl and turn pink.
Pour the dry white wine into the skillet to deglaze, scraping up any delicious browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to briskly simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Working quickly, use a whisk to vigorously beat in the remaining 85g of cold cubed butter, adding a few cubes at a time, until the sauce becomes opaque, glossy, and beautifully emulsified.
Transfer the drained linguine directly into the skillet along with the chopped fresh parsley. Toss everything together vigorously with tongs, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce until it perfectly clings to the noodles.
Divide the saucy prawn linguine among warm serving bowls. Arrange the seared scallops and langoustine tails over the top of each portion. Garnish with a final scattering of fresh lemon zest and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Always seek out 'dry' scallops. 'Wet' scallops are soaked in a phosphate solution that forces them to retain water, making them impossible to sear properly and negatively impacting their flavor.
- The reserved pasta water is the secret weapon in this dish. Its starches act as a binder, marrying the butter sauce to the linguine rather than letting it pool at the bottom of the bowl.
- Langoustines cook extremely fast. Keep a close eye on them to prevent the delicate tail meat from turning rubbery.
- If raw langoustines are difficult to source, you can substitute them with high-quality sweet spot prawns or small lobster tails cut into bite-sized medallions.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container. Seafood texture degrades quickly; best consumed fresh.
Reheating: Reheat very gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water to revive the emulsion.
Troubleshooting
Scallops lack a golden crust and appear steamed.
Cause: The scallops retained too much surface moisture or the pan was overcrowded, drastically lowering the cooking temperature.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cooked, but you can rescue the flavor by basting them with a little extra browned butter.
Prevention: Purchase 'dry-packed' scallops, pat them exceptionally dry, and sear in batches if necessary to maintain high pan heat.
The lemon butter sauce looks greasy and separated.
Cause: The heat was left too high when adding the butter, or the butter was not cold enough to form a stable emulsion.
Fix: Add a tablespoon of cold heavy cream or a splash of pasta water and whisk vigorously off the heat to bring the emulsion back together.
Prevention: Ensure the pan is on the lowest heat (or completely off) and always use cold butter cubes when finishing a pan sauce (monter au beurre).
Cultural Context
Combining premium shellfish with pasta is a hallmark of Southern Italian coastal cuisine, where the natural brininess of the sea dictates the flavor profile. This particular preparation is an Italian-American elevation, utilizing a classic French 'beurre blanc' technique to create a rich, luxurious sauce that binds the vibrant Mediterranean flavors together.
