Pan Seared Scallops

Sea scallops are my favorite seafood to cook at home.  They are so easy, and so delicious.  There are a couple of things you should do before you start cooking them.  You need to remove the "foot" from the scallop, and then rinse them well and dry them really well. In the picture below, all the scallops but two, have had the foot removed.  The two that are center right, still have them.  It is the white piece that is partially attached to one, and completely attached to the other.  The foot is actually the muscle that attaches the scallop to it's shell.  My very sweet and helpful niece G, is very good at removing the foot, and she has done that for me so I am able to move on to other parts of the meal. Thanks G!  You are a big help and I know you will become a great chef one day.

After you dry them really well, wrap them up in parchment paper.

And store them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.

Okay, enough about cleaning and storing.  On to the meal.  We are having pan seared scallops, rice pilaf with onion and toasted orzo, and grilled romaine lettuce with candied pecans and thinly sliced red onion.

Let's start with the rice.  Chop about a quarter of a large Vidalia onion, and saute it in Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  When it starts to soften up a little, add a large handful of the orzo pasta.  The onion will add sweetness, and the orzo will add a toasty flavor to the rice.

Stir it around good, and let the orzo toast up to a golden brown. 

Side note: If you are admiring my wooden spoon, I don't blame you.  It was given to me by my friend D. She and her husband R went to one of Paula Deen's restaurants a couple of years ago while on vacation. I think it was The Lady and Sons, in Savanna Georgia. Any who, they brought me back a set of 4 wooden spoons, and I use each and every one of them ALL the time. Thanks again D and R.

When the orzo is golden brown, add the rice pilaf and water to the pan and follow the label directions.  When it is done, fluff it with a fork and sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley over the top.

Now we will move onto the scallops and grilled romaine salad.  Heat a pan over medium high heat, with a 1:1 ratio of EVOO and butter.  Heat until the oil and butter get nice and bubbly hot.

Earlier I had cleaned and dried a head of romaine lettuce.  I chopped just a small portion of the top off, and left the bottom as is.  That way it will grill nicely and not fall apart.  I drizzled the romaine with EVOO and sprinkled Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on it.  While I was working on the scallops and rice, UD brought the romaine out to the grill.  He put it over medium heat and grilled it for 5-10 minutes.  Just until it got a slight char.

I drizzled the scallops with EVOO and sprinkled them with salt and pepper.  Once the pan was bubbling hot, I placed the scallops in.  Leave them for 3-4 minutes and then turn them over.  They should be seared a nice golden brown.  DO NOT move them around, or they will not achieve the nice sear that you are looking for.

Let them cook another 2-3 minutes on the second side.

And then plate them up.  It is that simple.

UD brought in the grilled romaine, and I added candied pecans and sliced red onion over the top.  Once again we used Newmans Own Light Raspberry & Walnut dressing.  So good!  I keep thinking I want to make my own vinaigrette, and then I wonder if it is worth it, since there are such delicious options available out there.

We split the salad and dug into the scallops and rice.  We both gave it two thumbs up!

A bientot!  See you soon.