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Digby Scallops

Name: Digby Scallops
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 pound fresh Digby scallops; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Digby scallops recipe: plump Bay of Fundy scallops seared in butter and garlic until golden and tender inside. A five-minute taste of Atlantic Canada.

⏱ 15 minPrep time

🔥 30 minCook time

🍽 4Servings

🏷 AppetizerCategory

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Digby, Nova Scotia, calls itself the scallop capital of the world, and the cold, fast-moving tides of the Bay of Fundy are why. Fishermen have dragged these grounds for generations, and the scallops they bring up are prized for their size and their almost sugary sweetness.

The secret to a great Digby scallop is doing very little: a screaming-hot pan, a knob of butter, and barely two minutes on each side. The outside turns burnished gold while the centre stays custardy — a restaurant trick that belongs in every home kitchen.

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Step by stepInstructions

Pat the scallops very dry with paper towels and season them lightly with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then add the scallops in a single layer without crowding.
Sear for 2 minutes without moving them until a deep golden crust forms, then flip and sear the other side for 1 minute more.
Add the butter and garlic to the pan and swirl until the butter foams, basting the scallops for about 30 seconds.
Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a shower of parsley, and serve immediately.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Dry scallops are the secret: any extra moisture stops the golden crust from forming. Buy dry-packed scallops if you can and never overcrowd the pan. Frozen scallops work too — just thaw and dry them thoroughly first.

Recipe details

Prep15 min

Cook30 min

Servings4

CategoryAppetizer

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Digby Scallops

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Digby Scallops

Step by stepInstructions

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Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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