Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon Butter

Pan-seared scallops make an elegant, restaurant-worthy meal, and they’re easy to make at home.

Pan-seared scallops make an elegant dinner with hardly any effort. Like a perfect steak or good pan-seared piece of fish, they don’t require fancy sauces or extra ingredients to make them taste good – just the right technique to cook them properly. The key is to sear them in a very hot pan and resist the urge to fiddle with them as they cook. Letting them sear untouched creates a beautiful, caramelized exterior and tender interior. To finish the dish, a simple lemon-butter pan sauce is all you need. Citrus works nicely with scallops as it both highlights their briny sweetness and tempers their natural richness. Feel free to experiment with different citrus flavors like lime, grapefruit, orange, or a combination. You can also dress your scallops up with fresh herbs, like tarragon, chives, thyme, basil, dill, or parsley. Pan-seared scallops are wonderful paired with risotto or crusty bread, a green salad, and a crisp white wine.

What You’ll Need To Make Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon Butter

Purchasing Scallops

There are two kinds of scallops – bay and sea scallops. Bay scallops are about the size of a dime and sea scallops can have a diameter of up to about 2 inches. Bay scallops are pretty and pricey; they are typically used in casseroles and seafood stews. Sea scallops, which are called for here, are what you’ll likely get when you order scallops at a restaurant.

When purchasing scallops, look for the “dry” or “dry-packed” variety. Some scallops on the market are dipped in a solution to extend shelf life. The scallops end up absorbing the water in the solution, increasing the price and causing the scallops to leak moisture when cooked (which will keep them from developing a beautifully caramelized exterior). Quality seafood markets typically carry dry scallops but don’t usually label them; if you’re uncertain of what to buy, ask your fishmonger.

You’ll want to purchase scallops just a day or two before you plan to cook them as they are very perishable. When fresh, they have a briny ocean smell, and when they start to spoil, they will smell more fishy.

Scallops have a small muscle on the side. I always remove them because particles of sand can get caught between the scallop and the muscle.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Remove the tiny side muscle where sand can hide and rinse the scallops. Dry the scallops with a paper towel.

Heat a large cast iron pan or thick-bottom nonstick sauté pan over medium high heat until very hot. (Use two pans if necessary to keep scallops from crowding.) Do not use stainless steel, as the scallops will likely stick. Add the olive oil and ½ tablespoon of the butter, and swirl to coat the pan.

Place the scallops in the pan and season with half of the salt and pepper.

Sear on the first side, without touching or flipping, for about 3 minutes, or until golden. Using tongs, turn the scallops over, season with the remaining salt and pepper, and sear for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the scallops are just cooked through.

Move the scallops to a plate. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining butter to the skillet. Add the lemon juice and swirl the pan a few times, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon.

Add the scallops back in the skillet, baste with the sauce to warm, and then divide onto 4 plates, using all the sauce. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

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