Wine & Food Killers: Grapefruit and Brown Butter Scallops with Spring Salad and Loxarel Cora Blanco 2023

I can’t recall any other year when spring has arrived so swiftly. After months of near-unrelenting darkness, it feels like someone has turned on all the lights. Suddenly, the world is ablaze – the sun high and bright, cherry blossoms bursting forth, daffodils beaming out their cheeriness to the robins, who sing right back. I feel like I’ve walked into a Disney movie. 

Just two weeks ago, I’d been longing for rich reds and hearty stews, but just as suddenly, my tastes are oriented towards the new season. And there’s not a springier wine out there than Loxarel Cora Blanco 2023. This Catalonian wine is bounteously aromatic; somehow, it tastes like white blossoms and stone fruit and sunshine, all concentrated into drinkable form. There’s a roundness and a honeyed character here, although the wine stops short – with its freshness and mineral finish – before you’d call it sweet.

From the first sip, I knew I’d need to stock up on more bottles to see me through the spring. I also knew I wanted to make something to balance the wine’s floral and fruity notes without overpowering them, and I found the ideal dish – riffing off a recipe by Andy Baraghani for seared scallops with a grapefruit and brown butter sauce. The perfect balance of low-effort cheffiness, but also offers big, beguiling flavours – bitter, zesty, sweet and toasty all at once.

To give it a springy feel, I paired this dish with a simple side salad of lamb’s lettuce, basil and tarragon, though you can use whichever fresh spring greens you have to hand; wild garlic and sorrel would also be brilliant here, dressed with a grapefruit and sesame vinaigrette. Both scallops and salad are just beautiful with the wine, allowing its perfumed bouquet to shine through without getting trampled on. Together, they feel like a fitting celebration of the new season.

Grapefruit and Brown Butter Scallops with Spring Salad
Adapted from Andy Baraghani
Serves 2

For the salad:
50g sunflower seeds
90g lamb’s lettuce (or mix of fresh spring greens)
50g basil leaves, stems discarded
20g tarragon leaves, stems discarded
1 ripe avocado
Flaky sea salt, to taste

For the dressing:
½ ruby grapefruit
75ml sesame oil
2 tablespoons seeded mustard
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons honey or agave syrup
Flaky sea salt, to taste

For the scallops:
10 scallops
Fine sea salt
1 ruby grapefruit
2 tablespoons olive oil
70g unsalted butter
Sumac, to garnish

1. Begin by preparing the salad. Add the sunflower seeds to a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Toast, tossing frequently, for roughly 5 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl and leave to cool.

2. Next, prepare the salad dressing. Juice the grapefruit half; it should yield roughly 75ml of juice. Add to a bowl with the other ingredients and whisk until emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

3. Begin to assemble the salad. Add the lettuce, basil and tarragon leaves to a large bowl, and toss to combine. Add the toasted sunflower seeds and mix through. Halve and pit the avocado; using a paring knife, crosshatch each half to dice. Set aside; you’ll add the avocado right before serving to avoid any sogginess.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the scallops. Pat them dry with kitchen roll, and season lightly with fine sea salt. Next, zest the grapefruit and reserve in a ramekin, then juice the grapefruit into a small bowl.

5. Place a large frying pan over high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the scallops in a single layer. Sear for 2–4 minutes on the first side, without moving them, or until golden-brown on the bottom. 

6. Flip the scallops and cook for 2–3 minutes on the reverse, or until seared and the scallop is just cooked (take care not to overcook the scallops; they’re best when still soft and tender in the middle). Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

7. Drain any remaining olive oil from the pan and then return to medium-low heat (keep any brown bits from cooking the scallops in the pan; they’ll help flavour the pan sauce).

8. To make the pan sauce, add the butter. Once melted, stir constantly and watch carefully as it browns – it will foam up and then begin to darken and smell nutty and toasty.

9. Once the butter is brown and toasty – but not yet burned – add the grapefruit juice; take care, as it may splatter. Raise the heat to medium-high. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the sauce has thickened and reduced by roughly half. Remove from the heat and add the zest. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

10. Just before serving, finish the salad: Add the diced avocado and dressing (you may not need all of it) to the bowl and season with flaky sea salt. Toss until just mixed, being careful to avoid breaking down the avocado too much. Taste and add additional seasoning if needed. 

11. To serve, divide the scallops between small plates. Drizzle over the grapefruit and brown butter pan sauce, and garnish with sumac. Divide the salad between small bowls and serve on the side.