Pan Seared Scallops

I think the cookbook that I was most excited to get for Christmas was the Cooks Illustrated Cookbook, better known as the bible of cooking. It is a wonderful resource for doing just about anything in the kitchen and would be a great addition to anyone's kitchen. It isn't flashy with tons of pictures but the recipes and techniques are well tested and won't let you down.

I made the cauliflower pesto I posted about earlier this week for Joe and I on New Years Eve. We were going out later with friends but weren't meeting until after dinner so I wanted to make something special for the two of us to have at home for dinner before we went out. I decided on seared scallops with spaghetti and cauliflower pesto. I love scallops, they are one of the very few things from the sea that I do like. I have tried to cook them at home before and they either come out too rubbery or just don't brown and it has always made me frustrated.

I turned to my Cooks Illustrated Cookbook in hopes that they might have something that could help me and boy did they! Turns out that for home cooks there are two things that get in the way of making a great pan seared scallop. First, most of the scallops that we can get our hands on are chemically treated with a solution called STP to increase shelf life and retain moisture which make them overly wet and hard to sear. Second, the stoves most of us have in our homes are much weaker than those in restaurants so it is hard to bring them up to the temperatures needed to properly sear a scallop. Cooks Illustrated has come up with a solution for both issues. Using their methods, these were the best pan seared scallops I have ever been able to make.

Pan Seared Scallops
From Cooks Illustrated Cookbook

Ingredients
1 quart cold water
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp salt
1 1/2 lbs large seas scallops, tendons removed
Ground pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Lemon wedges or your favorite sauce

Directions
Combine cold water, lemon juice and salt in a large bowl. Add scallops and soak for 30 minutes. Remove scallops from water mixture and place on rimmed baking sheet lined with a clean kitchen towel. Place second clean kitchen towel on top of scallops and press lightly on towel to blot liquid. Let scallops sit at room temperature 10 minutes while towels absorb moisture.

Sprinkle scallops on both sides with ground pepper. Heat 1 tbsp oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of the scallops in single layer, flat side down, and cook, without moving, until well browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Add 1 tbsp butter to skillet. Using tongs, flip scallops and continue to cook, using large spoon to baste scallops with melted butter (tilt skillet so butter runs to one side) until sides of scallops are firm and centers are opaque, 30 to 90 seconds longer (remove smaller scallops as they finish cooking). Transfer scallops to a large plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Wipe out skillet with wad of paper towels and repeat cooking with remaining oil, scallops, and butter. Serve immediately with lemon wedges or sauce.