Seared Scallops Recipe

Scallops are a type of shellfish that may find favor even with those people who claim to hate seafood. They're just about the least fishy-tasting thing in the sea, as they have a flavor that is very mild with a slight hint of sweetness. Scallops come in two varieties: the smaller, sweeter bay ones, and the larger sea ones. All scallops are tender and delicious, so no matter which type you cook with, they're bound to be winners.

Recipe developer Christina Musgrave has come up with a simple five-ingredient recipe for seared scallops that really couldn't get any easier. As she describes the dish, "This recipe is delicious and super easy to make," adding that "the scallops are cooked to perfection and have an amazing lemon flavor." She tells us that you can use either bay scallops or sea scallops in this recipe, although she does advise that "If you're buying very large sea scallops, you may have to cook [them] for an additional minute per side."

To make this dish, you'll start with scallops, of course. You'll also need salt and pepper as well as some olive oil, though Musgrave does say that you could cook the scallops in butter, as well.

Once the scallops are cooked, you'll be finishing them off with some fresh lemon juice, although you could also add a splash of white wine to the pan while you're deglazing it. If you'd like, you can garnish the cooked scallops with fresh basil, or you could use a different kind of herb instead. As Musgrave tells us, "Parsley, cilantro, oregano, or thyme would all be great with this."

Musgrave says to make sure that the scallops you use have the side muscle removed, but this probably won't factor into your prep work if you're not going to be taking them out of the shells yourself as most commercially available scallops come ready to cook.

Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat the oil in a large skillet with the burner set on medium. Once the oil appears to shimmer, add the scallops to the pan. Cook them for 3 minutes, flip them, then cook them for 3 minutes more. At this point the scallops should be cooked through and have a nice sear on each side, so take them out of the pan.

Pour the lemon juice into the pan, then deglaze it by scraping up all the browned bits. Pour this tasty pan juice over the cooked scallops. Garnish the scallops with chopped basil or other herbs if you like, and pass the lemon wedges if you'd like some extra tang.

Musgrave says this dish can be served as either an appetizer or a main course. "If serving as an appetizer," she tells us, "I'd serve [the scallops] with some crostini or toasted bread." For a main course, however, she notes that she'd serve the scallops "with a white sauce pasta and a salad."