There are few main courses as elegant and yet as simple as a dish of seared sea scallops. Sweet, tender, mild, and delectable—the less you fuss with scallops, the better they taste. The best way I’ve found to cook plump, meaty scallops is to sear them quickly in a hot pan so that the outsides get a lovely crisp, brown crust and the insides remains tender and creamy. Then, to dress them up, I whip up a speedy pan sauce in the same pan.

Get the recipe:Seared Scallops with Herb-Butter Pan Sauce

See it in action:Watch the Video Recipe

Perfect Sauces for Seared Scallops
Classic Herb Butter Sauce
Spicy Coconut Curry Sauce
Spicy Red Pepper & Cilantro Sauce
Golden Shallot & Grapefruit Sauce

Getting a great sear isn’t hard if you keep these points in mind: