scallops

[midwest07]

We recently bought some wine that is supposed to go really well with scallops, and would like to try it out this weekend. However, we have never tried to make scallops at home.

Any tips on how to cook the scallops? put them on the grill (perhaps on a cast iron pan?) or sear them in a pan on the stovetop? Do they really only take a few minutes per side? I tend to overcook seafood.

What sides and/or sauces would you suggest? I am thinking something with lemon and capers, but don't want it to be really creamy/heavy.

Any advice is appreciated!

[cookaholicwife]

I always pan sear scallops. I feel like its the only way I can cook them without overcooking them. I use a combination of butter and olive oil over medium-high heat and I won't touch them for at least 2 minutes. When you try to turn them, they should easily detach from the pan and have a nice golden color on them.

Its summery, but this was my favorite way to make them this year.
corn, tomato and scallop pasta

[thewaytohisheart]

Biggest thing is making sure they are dry before you pan sear them and not turning them over too soon. Here is another way to make scallops that I love

thewaytohisheart.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/scallop-gratins-with-lemon-garlic-bread-crumb/

[basilosaurus]

What I do is bake a piece of bacon on a rack first to render out the fat, then I use that for oil in the pan for a quick sautee. It's seriously like less than 2 minutes to sear on high heat. Then I crumble the bacon on top and dash on some ponzu. Yum! Simple is best. I've done all sorts of different toppings (I used to live from a major scallop port in Japan, so experimented a lot), but so far that's my favorite.

I totally thought I would overcook them first time sauteeing, but they were actually perfect. I have yet to screw them up which really surprises me. Yes, dry them thoroughly.

If you really want lemon, I think skip the capers. A light lemon wine butter sauce is also delicious.

Oh, and I usually serve it on a huge bed of spinach. So, whatever sauce I make I have enough to also dress the greens and partially wilt them.