Pan Seared Scallops
Without a doubt, one of the most intimidating dishes for anyone to make (just watch Hell’s Kitchen if you don’t believe me). I’m not sure why this dish is so scary but I too used to feel nervous about it; I’m thinking though it comes down to how expensive these suckers can be!
Serves 4 (see notes)
½ tbsp butter
½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Scallops, cleaned and patted dry
– Over medium high heat, add the butter and olive oil to a sauté pan.
– Add the scallops when the pan is hot and the fat has melted.
– Don’t touch the scallops until you are going to flip them; about 2-3 minutes, when you see the edges are browning and it’s starting to cook towards the middle.
– Drop the heat to medium after the scallops have been flipped.
– Cook for about another minute.
– You can tell the scallop is cooked when the middle is opaque and is slightly warm.
Notes:
- Larger scallops will take longer to cook but the principle is the same!
- I tend to make 4 or 5 small-medium scallops per person.
- It’s easier to use more then one pan at a time versus squeezing all scallops into one pan when cooking for a family of 4 or more.
