Tuscan Salmon and Scallops in Vodka Cream Sauce: One Skillet Dinner Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Gather everything before you turn on the heat, because the dish moves quickly once the fish hits the pan. Take the salmon and scallops out of the refrigerator only when you are ready to cook, and keep them out for no more than 30 minutes. Pat the salmon and scallops dry with paper towels, then season them on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.

Peel the garlic cloves and leave them whole, and tear the basil leaves just before serving so they keep their color. Grate the hard cheese on the fine holes of a box grater so it melts smoothly into the sauce. Measure the vodka, tomato sauce and heavy cream and set them within reach of the stove, so you can add each one at the right moment.

Instructions

Sear the salmon and garlic

1. 1Prepare the salmon and scallops
   Pat the salmon portions and scallops dry with paper towels. Season both sides of the salmon and the scallops with kosher salt and black pepper. Keep the fish refrigerated until you are ready to cook, and never leave it out for more than 30 minutes.
   Look for The fish surface feels dry and the scallops look pale and firm.
   Tip Dry scallops brown much better, so press them gently between paper towels.
2. 2Melt butter and oil with garlic
   Set the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil and let them melt together. Add the whole garlic cloves and cook for about 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant and just golden.
   Look for The butter foams, then settles, and the garlic smells toasted.
   Tip Keep the garlic whole so it flavors the fat without burning.
3. 3Sear the salmon with garlic
   Lay the salmon portions skin side up in the hot fat. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes without moving them, until the edges turn pale and the underside is golden. Turn the portions and sear the other side for 1 minute.
   Look for The edges of the fillets turn opaque and the bottoms are golden brown.
   Tip Do not move the salmon while it sears, so a crust can form.

After the salmon sears, the fillets should have golden, slightly crisp undersides and their edges should be turning opaque. The garlic should smell toasted and the butter and oil should look glossy in the pan, with no black specks. Check that the salmon releases easily from the iron before you turn it. If it sticks, leave it for another 30 seconds, since fish that is not yet seared will tear. Once the fillets turn over cleanly, you are ready to add the scallops and move on to the sauce.

Simmering in the cream sauce

4. 4Add the scallops and deglaze
   Nestle the scallops among the salmon and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until they begin to turn golden. Pour in the vodka, scraping up any browned bits from the pan, and let it bubble for about 30 seconds.
   Look for The vodka bubbles and the pan smells sharply of alcohol, then mellows.
   Tip Pour the vodka away from your face, since it can flare briefly.
5. 5Stir in the tomato and cream
   Add the tomato sauce and heavy cream to the skillet and stir with a wooden spoon until the sauce turns a rich rosy orange and begins to steam and bubble. Reduce the heat to medium and keep the sauce at a gentle simmer.
   Look for The sauce turns rosy orange and bubbles steadily around the fish.
   Tip Stir from the bottom so the cream does not scorch on the pan base.
6. 6Simmer with the grated cheese
   Sprinkle the grated hard cheese over the salmon and scallops and spoon a little sauce over them. Simmer uncovered for 4 to 6 minutes, until the salmon is opaque throughout and the scallops are firm and lightly golden at the edges.
   Look for The salmon flakes easily, the scallops feel firm, and the sauce looks glossy.
   Safe temperature 145°F (63°C) internal temperature (fish)
   Tip Check the thickest part of the salmon, which takes the longest to turn opaque.

When the tomato and cream sauce is ready, it should look rosy orange, bubble gently around the fish and steam across the surface of the pan. The scallops should be opaque and beginning to turn golden at the edges. After you add the grated cheese and simmer, the sauce should turn glossy and cling to a spoon. Check the thickest salmon fillet with a fork: the flesh should flake easily and look opaque all the way through. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt before you plate the dish.

Plating and garnishing

7. 7Plate and garnish the dish
   Use tongs to transfer the salmon and scallops to a serving dish. Spoon the glossy vodka cream sauce over them. Tear the fresh basil leaves over the top and finish with a final dusting of grated hard cheese.
   Look for The fish sits in a glossy rosy sauce, with green basil and gold cheese on top.
   Tip Serve right away, while the scallops are still tender and the sauce is hot.

The finished skillet should show salmon and scallops coated in a glossy, rosy sauce, with the cheese partly melted into it. Before you serve, check that the scallops are firm and lightly golden, and that the salmon is no longer translucent in the centre.

Tear the basil just before it goes on the plate, so it stays bright and fragrant. The final dusting of cheese should sit on top of the sauce and fish, not sink into it. The dish is ready as soon as the fish is on the serving dish and the sauce is spooned over it.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake is crowding the skillet. If the fish and scallops are packed too tightly, they release moisture and steam instead of searing, and the pan never develops the golden edges that give the dish its depth. Use a skillet large enough to hold the salmon portions with a little space around them, and cook the scallops in a single layer.

Another mistake is adding the scallops too early or leaving them in the sauce for too long. Scallops cook within a few minutes and turn tough and rubbery if they simmer for too long. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil, because high heat can make the cream separate and turn grainy. Finally, do not skip the drying step: wet fish and scallops will not brown.

How to tell it’s done

The salmon is done when the flesh is opaque all the way through and flakes easily when pressed with a fork. For the highest food safety standard, the thickest part of the fish should reach 145°F (63°C) on an instant-read thermometer. The scallops are done when they are firm to the touch, opaque in the centre and lightly golden at the edges.

A scallop that is still translucent in the middle needs another minute. Look for a sauce that is glossy and rosy orange and clings to a spoon, which means the cream and tomato have come together and the cheese has melted into them. Avoid overcooking, since fish that turns dry and chalky has passed its best.

• Fish: 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part
• Shellfish: 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part