Seared Scallops with Pan Sauce

By dawnu1

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs sea scallops
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or water; more as needed
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

Details

Adapted from finecooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into pea-sized pieces; put it one a small plate and place it in the freezer. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil, and wait for the butter to melt.
2. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels, add them to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper; work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding in the skillet. Cook, turning once, until they are well browned on both sides but not quite cooked through, 2 minutes per side (less if the scallops are under 1 inch across, more if they are over). Transfer the scallops to a plate.
3. Stir in the garlic, lemon juice and wine, and scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet with a spatula. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the liquid in the skillet thickens, a minute or two, then whisk in the chilled butter, one bit at a time, to make a creamy sauce, adding another tablespoon or two of liquid if necessary.
4. Return the scallops to the skillet and add the chives. Adjust the heat so the sauce bubbles gently and toss to coat the scallops with the sauce. To serve, transfer the scallops to a platter and spoon the sauce over them.
Makes 4 servings.