This elegant dish is deceptively simple to make.
if you don’t have a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet—beginners should probably avoid using a stainless-steel skillet since it may cause your scallops to stick and tear. Make sure your pan is big enough to fit the number of scallops you’re cooking—you want to make sure you can get them all in the pan in a single layer with plenty of space between each.
onto the skillet and heat over medium-high heat until it’s very hot and shimmering. Then, using tongs, gently place your seasoned scallops in the pan and DO NOT TOUCH THEM until they are deeply golden brown on one side, about three minutes for an average-size scallop.Flip your scallops carefully and add a few little pieces of cold butter to the pan along with an aromatic of choice. You could use a dried chile pepper or a sprig of fresh herbs or some capers or a slice of citrus. Again, this is the fun part of not following an exact recipe—you can choose whatever ingredient you think would best complement your seasoning. Use a large spoon to baste the scallops with the butter continuously while they finish cooking, one to two minutes longer. Be careful not to overcook your scallops: If your scallops are on the small side, it may not take as long for them to cook through. You may want to slice one sacrificial scallop in half to check: The flesh near the top and bottom edges should look opaque, but there should still be a faintly translucent strip in the middle when you take the scallops off the heat.Pull the scallops from the pan and set them on your serving plate. Then add a splash of liquid to the butter in the pan: You could use lemon juice, white wine, chicken or vegetable stock, dry vermouth, orange juice, etc., depending on what flavor you think would work best with your seasoning and basting ingredients. Give the sauce a good stir over medium heat, then remove from heat and pull out the aromatics. Add just a bit more cold butter to finish and some fresh herbs if you like. Pour the sauce around the scallops on your plate and you’ve got a showstopping buttery scallop dish ready to serve. And best of all, you can say it’s your own creation—I won’t mind. Now that you know how to cook scallops at home, you might want to check out more of our best scallops recipes. Whether you’re looking for a foolproof seafood main course or fancy appetizers, we have great options for you, including crispy Old Bay scallop salad, grilled scallops on skewers, a fresh ceviche made with bay scallops and lime juice, and a sauté of sea scallops with apple-sesame couscous.