Pan-seared seafood in 15 minutes
This is the recipe you reach for when you have 15 minutes and want something that looks like it took hours. Seafood needs high heat and short cooking, and the garlic butter with white wine does the rest. The secret is slow thawing, overnight in the fridge or half an hour in cold water, so the seafood stays tender and does not release water into the pan. From there on, a Tuesday dinner suddenly turns into a summer evening by the sea.
Instructions
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Get everything ready
Slice the garlic, chop the parsley, cut the lemon and put the bread on to toast. This recipe moves fast, so it helps to have everything waiting next to the hob.
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Get the pan very hot
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat until it shimmers. Drain the seafood well and add it just as it is, in a thin layer, without crowding the pan. If it releases water, tilt the pan and pour it off, otherwise the seafood steams instead of searing.
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Sear for 3 minutes ⏱ 3 min
Leave it untouched for 1 minute, then stir and give it 2 more minutes, until the prawns turn pink and opaque and the squid curls slightly. Lift everything into a bowl and keep the pan on the heat.
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Make the garlic butter ⏱ 3 min
Lower the heat to medium, add the butter and sliced garlic and stir for 1 minute without letting it burn. Pour in the white wine and let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes, scraping up everything stuck to the bottom.
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Bring it together ⏱ 1 min
Return the seafood to the pan along with the juices from the bowl, add the parsley, chilli flakes, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Toss for 1 minute, just until hot and coated in the sauce.
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Serve straight away
Tip everything onto a warm platter with lemon wedges and toasted bread on the side. The sauce left in the pan is the best part, do not leave it behind.
Good to know
The most common mistake is crowding the pan: too much at once means water, steam and rubbery seafood. Cook in two batches if needed, and if you want to skip the alcohol, swap the wine for stock and a little lemon juice. Prawns and squid are done as soon as they turn opaque, past 3 minutes they go rubbery.
Frequently asked questions
How long does seafood cook in a pan?
Three minutes over high heat: 1 minute untouched, then stirred for 2 more, until the shrimp turn pink and opaque and the squid curls lightly. Past 3 minutes it turns rubbery, which is why the sauce is made separately.
Does frozen seafood mix go straight into the pan?
Only after being drained very well. It goes in a single layer, into a pan heated to maximum, in two batches if needed. Crowding is the classic mistake: too much at once means water, steam and tough seafood.
How do you make the garlic butter and white wine sauce?
After searing, remove the seafood, lower the heat to medium and add the butter with sliced garlic for 1 minute. Pour in the white wine and let it reduce by half, then return everything to the pan for 1 minute with parsley, chili and lemon juice.
Can you make this recipe without wine?
Yes: replace the wine with stock and a little lemon juice. The sauce is just as good mopped up with toasted bread, only slightly less aromatic.
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Pan-seared seafood in 15 minutes
Pan-seared seafood in 15 minutes
This is the recipe you reach for when you have 15 minutes and want something that looks like it took hours. Seafood needs high heat and short cooking, and the garlic butter with white wine does the rest. The secret is slow thawing, overnight in the fridge or half an hour in cold water, so the seafood stays tender and does not release water into the pan. From there on, a Tuesday dinner suddenly turns into a summer evening by the sea.
Notes
The most common mistake is crowding the pan: too much at once means water, steam and rubbery seafood. Cook in two batches if needed, and if you want to skip the alcohol, swap the wine for stock and a little lemon juice. Prawns and squid are done as soon as they turn opaque, past 3 minutes they go rubbery.
