I wait every year for the tiny Champagne grapes to become available just so I can make this dish. This year (two days ago) they actually had them at Costco. Score!
I seriously want to plan a dinner party around their availability because this dish is that GOOD!
It is the perfect appetizer or first course. The buttery scallops with the sweet grapes and crunchy almonds is just a perfect match.
Despite the name, Champagne grapes, they are not used to make sparkling wine. The tiny clusters most likely got their name because they resemble the tiny bubbles in a glass of Champagne.
So if you see these in your store or at the Farmer’s Market, pick them up so that you too can experience Pan-Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes and Almonds. However, I’m warning you will become addicted to this dish and serve it to your family for three days in a row. Sorry, it had to be done.
Let’s make it together, the ingredients are so simple but add so much flavor. You’ll see.
Here’s what you’ll need: Scallops, unsalted butter, shallots, Champagne grapes (or black grapes), fresh lemon juice, slivered or sliced almonds and Italian (flat-leaf) parsley.
Here are the tiny-clustered Champagne grapes. Cute aren’t they? You will need about 4 ounces of these or 2/3 cup.
Melt 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the butter until it is browned, about 2 minutes.
Salt and pepper your scallops before adding them to the pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side and transfer to a dish, covering to keep warm.
Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1-1/2 Tablespoons minced shallots and 2/3 cup grapes; sauté until the shallots are golden, about one minute. Stir in 1-1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice and any accumulated scallop juice from the plate of cooked scallops. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper.
Stir in 1/3 cup almonds and 1-1/2 Tablespoons parsley.
Place scallops on individual plates and spoon the amazing sauce over them.
I love a scallop with browned edges. Isn’t this one beautiful?
Open up and take a bite!
Pan-Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes and Almonds
adapted from Bon Appetit
16 large sea scallops, side muscles removed
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1-1/2 Tablespoons minced shallots
2/3 cup Champagne grapes (4 ounces) or black grapes, halved
1-1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted
1-1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Salt and pepper
Melt 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the butter until it is browned, about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper your scallops before adding them to the pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side and transfer to a dish, covering to keep warm.
Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and grapes; sauce until the shallots are golden brown, about one minute. Stir in fresh lemon juice and any accumulated scallop juice from the plate of cooked scallops. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Stir in almonds and parsley.
Place scallops on individual plates and spoon the sauce over them. Serve immediately.
HoneyB says
Wow this looks really delicious. I am sad because I live in an area where I have never seen these grapes!
Helen says
Wow, what an absolutely gorgeous dish. I am really intigued to try this. It looks absolutely gorgeous too – another great reason to serve it at your dinner party!
KathyB. says
O.K. Hubby will have to stop at Costco to get these grapes…or maybe we can find some at our Farmers’ Markets, I know he will want to serve this dish, Every ingredient in the dish is something I love to eat !
By the way, we served your recipe , your very easy recipe of Chambourg over good vanilla ice cream to a crowd, some from England, and wow ! That particular dessert is on our forever to be on the list of easy but memorable desserts to definitely be served !KathyB.
Mental P Mama says
You had me at champagne grapes…
nina says
I AM GOB SMACKED!!!!!Speechless, in shock…and totally at a loss of words. This has to be this most amazing plate of food I have seen up till now. My scallop hunt starts NOW!!!!
Clumbsy Cookie says
That is restaurant materal my friend! It looks so perfect, I love how cute the little grapes are and I’m sure they work really good with the almonds! The dish is just beautiful!
Lore says
How did you know? They are my favourite grapes of all!!! I know they make a great pairing with almonds and I can only imagine the havenly taste that scallops bring into this “equation” (No, I’m not a math freak đŸ˜› )
Kari says
I’ve never even seen these grapes before until yesterday when I was at the grocery. That recipe looks so good!
Deeba says
I love the marriage of flavours here…& it’s ever so pretty too. Wonder if scallops could be substituted with something else…hmmmmm…any thoughts would be great Cathy. Thank you!!
Mary Coleman says
Absolutely gorgeous.
Groom will be at the front door of Costco along with KathyB’s husband to get some of these babies asap!!!
Fran says
This looks absolutely delicious! I will be looking for these grapes today. I can’t wait to try this out. Thanks!
Fran
melissa says
I’m an hour and 20 minutes from a Costco! That’s sad. We do have a Sam’s 30 miles away but it’s just not the same.
Your pictures are BEAUTIFUL! They make me want to like scallops. I know I’m weird. I don’t care for lobsta either. Being from Maine I get lot’s of flak
ayankeeinasouthernkitchen says
Exquisite Cathy! I am deathly allergic to scallops but most certainly can try the grapes that you rave about. It would be a first for me.
Katie says
How adventuresome! How do you get over the fear of fruit in savory dishes in order to try it for the first time? Or am I the only one who freaks out a little when they see fruit on a dinner plate? It looks delicious, but I only recently got the cahones to try a salad with fruit-I know, I know, it’s like the dark ages over here.
Jenni in KS says
These look so good! Alas, dh does not like scallops. He says they’re too squishy. Now, I’m averse to squishy lunch meats, but scallops (assuming they’re fully cooked) are good squishy. I’ll be dreaming about these and the scallops I had at The Slanted Door tonight though! Someday maybe I’ll have scallop loving guests and I’ll tell dh he has to suck it up and eat the scallops “for our guests”.
Queen of Planet Hotflash says
The grapes and almonds look delicious, not so much the scallops. I’m not a scallop fan.
Marcy says
Hmmm,I hadn’t really heard about Champagne grapes till this past weekend. Nicole stayed at a friends house and she hasd them from Costco, lol, and nicole loved them! I like scallops but have to be in the mood for them, but I like grapes and almonds too, so combining them sounds pretty delish! Thanks for sharing!
imbeingheldhostage says
when I get the drool cleaned out of my keyboard, this is going into my list of your recipes I have to make. Wow- YUM. Thank you!
curlywurlygurly says
those little grapes are so cute! i must buy them–even though i detest costco. as for the scallops…i don’t eat anything that comes from the water, so i guess i’ll just eat the grapes with a handful of almond slivers. i’ll let ya know how it goes. đŸ™‚
sharon says
These belong in a cooking magazine! Your scallops are cooked to perfection with that perfect glazed crust. Loving most things that are little, I’m going on a hunt for champagne grapes!
Mary Beth says
That looks so good except I don’t like scallops. But at first I thought they were pork chops (we’re having pork tonight and it’s obviously on my mind) and I was wondering how it would be with pork instead? I may have to try that. I will keep an eye out for the grapes and let you know:)
Bunny says
Oh MY GOD this is beautiful,absolutely beautiful! I can see the faces of your dinner guests when you make this for them! They will be in awe! Please invite me!!!
Steph says
OH MY! These aren’t going to be just a tiny addiction…my husband doesn’t like seafood, so it looks like I will have to keep them all to myself!
Louise says
Simply beautiful! I just saw champagne grapes at a local farm stand and thought, “how cute!” but beyond admiring them, didn’t know what to do with them. You manage once again to stay one step ahead of my cooking needs.
Vonda says
I have never had a sauce over scallops quite like this. Those grapes are the cutest thing. I can’t wait to try it.
Jennifer says
I’ve never seen champagne grapes before. They are cute! I’m going to keep an eye out for these in the future.
shonda little says
Holy cow, Cathy, that looks amazing. I normally don’t eat until I have finished my coffee, but all this has my tummy grumbling.
I’m sure these grapes are only available in your neck of the woods. My husband’s good friend owns a winery and we get a few of the grapes annually for jam. But they are pretty bitter. What grape do you think would substitute best for this dish?
Starwoodgal says
Oh, Good Gravy! That’s look Da-Voon!
Tipper says
That looks divine!!
Nell says
I’ve always wanted to try champagne grapes and this looks fantastic!
Arnold in Michigan says
What a beautiful recipe.
Nell says
Cathy, I meant to ask what wine you would serve with this beauty?
Leah Q says
A simple suburb decadent dish that calls me all the way from your state out west to my state of NY – I am in on this one GF! – Gorgeous pics too!
If I can find these grapes in time for my BF’s 50th dinner party which I plan to have in two weeks, I will certainly make this recipe as an appy over tri-colore ensalada
c’est fantastique! Brava, Brava
::crowd roars with loud applause, while mouths drool the last little bits of butter drops, their tongue come out to lick it up::
dlyn says
MMMMMM – that looks wonderful Cathy!
Cathy says
A crisp, ripe Sauvignon Blanc.
Cathy says
Substitute black, seedless grapes that you have cut in half.
Cathy says
I would substitute a pork chop for the scallops, the flavors would work well.
Suzette says
I’ve been away on a mini vacation, and it seems I’ve got some catchin’ up to do! And what a way to start. This recipe makes me want to go out looking for champagne grapes! Gorgeous!
Coffee Bean says
Um…Uh… YUM!!!! Can you pass that plate my way?
Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer says
This one is off the charts – WOW. I love those little champange grapes they are so incredible – thanks for the tip that costco just got them in.
Fun House Jennifer says
Oh I love those little grapes!! That looks like a delicious and easy dish to make–thank you! Those scallops look good in the pan I want to reach right through the computer and grab one!
Patricia Scarpin says
I cannot eat scallops, Cathy, but I like seeing recipes with it anyway. And this is such a different sauce!
Laura says
WOW that looks good!
I had never heard of champagne grapes until having kids–now we get them every year just for munching on. đŸ™‚
kimberleyblue says
Wow! Yum! I have some fantastic scallops in the freezer, and you’ve inspired me. What a stunning dish.
Dr. Debs says
Thanks for the great recipe. We already ate our champagne grapes–with sauternes and some cheese for dessert–but next year we’ll have this instead. It looks so beautiful, and I’m sure it tastes that way, too!
dawn says
Bookmarked!! Hello! ‘Nuff said!
Renae du Jour says
We love scallops and I’m always looking for a new way to make them– your dish looks so amazing. I would have never thought of the grapes with seafood. My eyes are opened.
Sweet Simplicity says
I am drooling! It looks so good and so pretty! Seriously, send some of that my way! I can’t stop thinking about it. I am going to go stare at the picture right now!
Pam says
What a great combination of flavors. My mouth is watering after looking at your great pictures.
Lori says
OH NO. Now my dinner plans are out the window and I’m shifting gears to make this. I saw these grapes at my corner market yesterday and just kept walking. Silly me. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe! I’ll be posting about it tomorrow (with credit to the noblest pig, of course).
Misty says
YUMM, this looks wonderful Cathy. I never would have thought to combine all of these ingredients. I could care less if my husband will like this, I am going to make it this weekend. I wish I could find these grapes!
ALF says
I was hungry before I visited. Now I am going to have to go find something to eat. Although, whatever I find won’t be nearly as delicious as those scallops look.
PaniniKathy says
Wow, those scallops are just gorgeous! I’ve never cooked with champagne grapes before, but I’m really intrigued. Come to think, I’ve never actually made scallops either (I know)! But I do like them a lot, so maybe this would be a good inaugural recipe to try.
Deborah says
I love food blogs, because this is one combination I would have never thought to try on my own. But it sounds fantastic!
Dragon says
This looks stunning! Wow!
Alicia says
Scallops!!! A favorite of mine and the other ingredients are very doable. This is something I am looking forward to trying. I cannot wait!!!
Don Mills Diva says
WOW.
I just forwarded this link to my husband as he is the chef around our house and he loves to make scallops – this looks incredible!
Blond Duck says
That looks tasty! Too bad there’s not too many oceans in the Pond!
Daisy says
That actually looks pretty easy! And so so so good… It’s making my stomach rumble and beg!
tj says
…Oh my… I’ve so got to try this! If it tastes as half as good as it looks, mercy! :oP
…Thank you for the recipe! This looks fabulous!
…Blessings… :o)
TashOysterblogger says
I have seen those in Sun Valley and bought them purely on their curb appeal. They are tasty and delicate too…. this dish looks good. When my brain is fried from toddler stuff its nice to come to a grownup food blog sprinkled with lovely food ideas. thanks for the inspiration!
Courtney says
What a beautiful dish. I will be on the lookout for those grapes!!
Kristy - Where's My Damn Answer says
OMG that looks beautiful. What do I need to do to get on the invite list for THAT party?
Pleasant Drive says
Those grapes are precious! We don’t have anything like that around here.
Mrs. L says
I love scallops so this works on that level. And I’ve seen those little grapes before but had no idea how to use them. Here’s hoping I run into them again soon!
Marjie says
I’ve made ham with grapes before, and it’s astonishing how heating them increases the flavor of the grapes! I’ll have to try this the next time I have scallops!
Lara says
Oh, yum! I do hope you have a party to celebrate the grapes!
Amanda Louden says
That looks amazing!
MsMVNJ says
Oh boy, that looks wonderful! I can’t wait to try it.
KitchenKiki says
oh my stars & bars that looks good! I need to go grape shopping!
I did have some of those grapes on my wedding cake and thought they were adorable!
Kiki says
I was liking it and then you said the pork chop thing. I’ve got that in the fridge and was just wondering what to do with them for tomorrow’s dinner.
Perfect thank you.
Dr. John says
I hate coming here when you have food. It always looks so good and you describe it so well and I know that most often just the two of us will never cook it. But I still print out the recipe and hope.
marye says
Wow! I wish my family would eat scallops..that looks seriously good!
grace says
other than wine, this is the best use for grapes that i’ve ever seen. what a stunning display–it’d knock the socks off of any guest! thanks for sharing this looker with us, i can see why you look forward to it. đŸ™‚
Asthmagirl says
Really lovely. I saw them at Costco last weekend but didn’t pick any up. Now I wish I had!
melissa says
Oh my oh my. What a wonderful new scallop recipe. *Copying and pasting* Always looking for new ones and I never would have thought of a sauce like this. Amazing.
I also like your suggestion to the commenter above about possibly using a pork chop instead of scallops. That would probably be wonderful.
Christie @fig&cherry says
LOVE scallops! Those little grapes are adorable too – are they seedless? Hopefully.
This dish is so decadent it’s fit for a Queen (me!). Gorgeous Cathy, just gorgeous.
Lorena says
Oh my! You’ve outdone yourself again Cathy! That’s going straight to my recipe folder.
melly~ says
absolutely gorgeous!
your perfect photos made my mouth totally water. i. must. try. this.
never heard of these grapes before but I’ll be keeping my eye out for them!
Thanks Cathy.
Barbie with a T says
I just knew you would come up with the perfect seafood recipe in time for me to run down to the store and pick up some scallops! Thank You. Tomorrow is grocery day and I plan on doing the recipe if I can find those tiny grapes. I imagine the other type of grapes will do, though. Thanks for this one. It looks like it will be one of my favorites. What kind of wine do you suggest?
Barbie with a T says
My questions were answered above. I wrote before I read! Thanks again.
[email protected] Cutting Edge of Ordinary says
Be still my heart. A dish I adore. Scallops, butter, grapes, almonds, lemon, oh my! I need to go check the paper to see who has scallops on sale this week! Thanks!
maggie, dammit says
OMG OMG OMG OMG.
This one, for me, outdoes everything you’ve ever done.
OMG.
I want this. Bad. Now.
Leslie says
I have seen Champagne grapes in the store and have not known what to do with them…but now I do!
Kevin says
I have not used grapes in a savoury dish but the scallops with grapes look and sound really good!
Jessy says
What a great combination. That looks amazing!
Kate says
Beautifully photographed and well-written post. Am loving the last shot. Cathy, I can’t believe how far you’ve come since I first started reading your blog. You’d just started. I’m amazed, but not really. You are just darn good!
Chesapeake Bay Woman says
As soon as I saw the picture of scallops, I was toast. Or rather, I was toast hoping that there’d be scallops on top with lots of butter.
INCREDIBLE! And I know my scallops.
Flea says
Okay. Okay. I don’t understand why you aren’t 500 pounds by now. Your food is phenomenal.
Shandy says
Luscious was not kidding! This scallop dish looks phenomenal! Oh thank you, thank you for sharing. I can not wait to make this and scallops are my all time weakness. Your pictures are so beautiful =D
San Diego Momma says
THAT looks like something I can actually make. Not TOO complicated, but still looks gourmet-y and elegant.
Thank you for possibly turning me into someone who might maybe be able to cook something decent someday.
jodycakes says
I just saw fresh lingonberries…you have any recipes for those that you like???
haven’t seen any champagne grapes this way yet…great recipe…and, the only thing better than a browned up scallop is crispy bacon! đŸ˜‰
Susan at Sticky,Gooey,Creamy,Chewy says
What a fabulous dish! I just saw those little grapes at the market today. I’m going back tomorrow to get some. I NEED to make this!
Wine Tasting Guy says
DOES look good. I wonder what else you can do the little grape reduction thing with…
goodncrazy says
Okay.
FAB pictures. And I am so going to pray that there are champagne grapes in a few weeks AFTER my crazy dies down!
And I featured you today on my blog!
Paula says
Oh my gosh, this looks fantastic. Even better, I have all of these ingredients in my fridge! My kids love snacking on those grapes and it’s never occurred to me to cook with them! Great, great recipe! YUM!
Rita says
oh gawd….super gorgeoussssss! can i use normal grapes if i cant find those beautiful pearly grapes?
canarygirl says
CATHY! I think this is possibly the best recipe ever posted on these internets. I saw those little champagne grapes at the organic grocer yesterday! I might just have to run back over there and pick some up.
Kristen says
I have never seen grapes look so delicious! What an amazing looking recipe. I doubt, here in KS, we could find those at Costco, but you can bet I’m going to take a look to see!
Maureen says
I can’t wait to find some of these grapes and make this dish. OH.My.Gawd. does that look spectacular. I could eat it right now (6:14 a.m.)
Thanks for another spectacular post!
Sassy says
I too live in an area where these grapes are not sold, we basically only see green and red grapes, that`s it. But, this dish makes me want to move west, yum!
Alexa says
That looks absolutely amazing… I bet it would be great on tofu, fish fillet or a thin chicken scallopini as well. Just beautiful!
TSannie/annbb says
That looks seriously delicious! Every ingredient in it I LOVE! One question: every time I’ve cooked (sauteed) sea scallops they’re gritty. Why O why is that?? Is there a secret to cleaning them?
BTW – I wanna come to your dinner party when you serve this! đŸ˜‰
brilynn says
I love this recipe! I’ve made it numerous times, it’s one of my favourites.
Lisa says
This recipe is so fun! I saw champagne grapes at the market today, so this recipe is on my “gotta try it” list.
cookinpanda says
Cathy this is truly fabulous. I really HAVE to try this recipe very soon. It just looks too amazing. It’s so unique, and I’m certain, flavorful. Now I just need to find these grapes…
Thotlady says
OMGosh, these look heavenly, I can almost smell the scallops.
I have copy and pasted into a word document and printed so I can try this recipe soon.
Donna says
I’ve had these grapes before and they can’t even compare to the table grapes we eat every day! Your photos are spectacular as always!
Please send this dinner, in its entirety to Donna @……….
Becky says
i’ve never even seen champagne grapes before at our costco. this dish looks great though! love scallops. nice job!
noobcook says
omg omg omg! u know why I am so excited? A few days ago, I was at the supermarket, wondering what these champagne grapes are (n so I didn’t buy them), and today, I saw your gorgeous dish! *bookmarked* I am going to crawl back to the supermarket soon, hee!
Farina says
Those scallops look amazing. Im so going to try this recipe of yours. Provided I could find the champagne grapes. đŸ˜‰
angie says
I shouldn’t have looked at this before lunch. I’m salivating. Looks SO delicious.
Cass says
This looks so fantastic – my husband saw it and made a special request for our anniversary dinner in a few weeks.
Lori says
Oh wow Cathy, this looks so so good! Better than the scallop dishes I see in the restaurants! đŸ™‚
merlotmom says
Yum! Just came by after you came by and yum! I think you’ve won me over just from this recipe. It has all my favorite things and the pictures. Yum.
maybelles mom (feeding maybelle) says
absolutely stunning.
Susan at Sticky,Gooey,Creamy,Chewy says
I made this dish for dinner last night. Holy Moly! Was it good! Thanks for the recipe.
Mathieu says
OMG! This is absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Carolyn Jung says
Oh, I love champagne grapes. I wonder if Muscat grapes _ another fave _ would work well here, too. What a great dish: Simple to whip up, yet fancy enough for company. It’s the best of all worlds.
Monique says
I need to get scallops! I had loved this when I first saw it and forgot! I have the grapes..oh this looks sooo good!!
Dinner Party Ideas says
This is a great dinner party idea! I never would have thought to combined the grapes with the scallops, great idea!
Vintage coffee grinder says
Am loving the last shot. Cathy, I can’t believe how far you’ve come since I first started reading your blog.
Kim says
Wow, I don’t like seafood, but these look so great I’m writing it down for making for company!
BTW, I *think* champagne grapes are called that because you drop a couple *in* a glass of champagne and they float up and down. I know that’s done with some kind of fruit, and I thought it was tiny grapes & currants as well.
Thanks for the recipe, it looks fabulous!
Shane says
Our company grows and sells Champagne grapes. You can find them at most Wal-Mart stores starting August 1 through September 1.
Cathy, great idea!
Anna Chacko says
I did the but with skinless boneless salmon great. Scallops cost a king’s ransom in Montana.
Anna Chacko says
I just did it!! I used salmon steaks. Did not have parsley and hate it anyway. I used dill instead. Did not have almond used cashew nuts instead. My husband said that the steaks were too dry – so I floated them in 3 tbsp of unsweetened coconut milk. Was a great hit. Thank you very much. Anna Chacko MD
Cathy says
Awesome!