Every time I make scallops I cannot believe I know how to make scallops! They are so expensive and when ordered in a restaurant, there is never enough. (See that photo up there? My husband scarfed the entire thing down in about two minutes and still wanted more. A restaurant usually plates about FOUR scallops per person.)
The secret to this recipe is being prepared. Do ALL of the preparations in advance, including your side dishes. (I made fresh pasta and a side of asparagus.) Scallops cook very quickly, so you’ll want to have everything ready so you can plate them up when they’re ready.
So to recap: zest the lemons, squeeze the juice, chop the parsley and garlic (or use “squeezey” cheater garlic like I did), measure the wine and chicken stock and have your butter handy. Also, have a platter with a lid or a piece of aluminum foil nearby. You will put the cooked scallops in there to hold as you finish them.

Lastly and most importantly, DRY THOSE SCALLOPS WELL before you attempt to sear them. The slightest bit of moisture will prevent a good sear. Get your Pan hot, hot, hot before you start. Also, once you get them in the pan, resist the urge to check them for at least two minutes.

Let me know how it goes! ❤️

INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 pounds scallops
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
FOR THE LEMON BUTTER (GARLIC) SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons butter (Use real butter. Don’t be a slacker.)
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- Zest of two lemons
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (reserve one tablespoon for garnishing)
DIRECTIONS:
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry. (I mean thoroughly. I usually put them between two paper towels and then rest them on a food friendly kitchen cloth. They need to be very dry in order to brown.
- Working in batches, add scallops to the skillet in a single layer and sear. Season with salt and pepper. Turn them over once and leave them until golden brown and translucent in the center, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.
- To make the lemon butter (garlic) sauce, melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same skillet. Add garlic and cook, whisking frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in wine, lemon juice and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add in the parsley at the end.
- Serve scallops immediately with lemon butter sauce, garnish with a little of the reserved parsley.