All you need is 4 ingredients for beautiful pan-seared sea scallops. The savory crust from the cast iron gives the scallops a crispy texture on the outside while smooth and soft on the inside. This simple recipe is no fuss and a delicious accompaniment to a salad, pasta, risotto, or as an appetizer.
Working with defrosted scallops, place them in a collander and rinse under cool water.
Remove the excess moisture by patting each scallop dry with paper towels. One-by-one, place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Season with kosher salt.
Then, place another layer of paper towels on top of the scallops, then follow with another baking sheet.
Set aside for 15 minutes.
Sear the Scallops:
Add 1 teaspoon of butter and the oil to a well-seasoned cast iron skillet (or enameled cast iron), over medium-high heat.
When the skillet is hot, gently add the scallops leaving 1-inch of space between each. You may need to do this in batches depending on how many scallops you are preparing.
Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes. Then, flip to the other side.
After flipping, add the remaining teaspoon of butter to the skillet and baste the scallops with butter using a large spoon.
The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.
Notes
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