I ate at a teppenyaki restaurant. The chef griddled scallops on a teppan. At the end he squeezed JUST fresh lemon juice on them. He never grated lemon or put lemon zest on scallops – trust me, I remember. I could taste fresh lemon in the scallops! This why I haven't tried lemon zest.
I prefer steaming – no searing or griddling. But I can't replicate this lemon flavor at home. I juiced fresh lemons and tried these different steps! But I didn't taste lemon in my scallops in the end!
When I start steaming scallops in my pan on the stove, I add the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
When I almost finish steaming scallops in the pan on my stove, I add the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
I marinate defrosted scallops in the freshly squeezed lemon juice for 24 hours before steaming.