Pan Seared Scallops in a Buttery Garlic Parmesan Sauce

I absolutely love quick meals that are beautiful to plate and pan seared scallops is one of those meals! Making my plates look "pretty" is so exciting, because the experience really gives me the chance to get creative and fun, and I just sort of get lost in it. I've always thought that a beautiful plate is an appetizing plate, and when you serve something beautiful it gives you a whole different kind of a dining experience. Anyhow, these pan seared scallops were definitely fun to plate, plus they were so easy to make. Even though, I don't eat seafood, I absolutely love the way these scallops looked. I solely depend on how these taste based on hubby's taste, so if you need to make tweaks to my recipe feel free to do so. This recipe is pretty easy to make, as well as a huge time saver when you're wanting to make something "pretty"looking, yet quick.

Seared scallops is one of those dishes that you can do so much with; you can serve them over risotto, over pastas, chutneys, sauces, etc. The first time I made scallops, I had them in a ghost pepper cream sauce and served them over a garlic parmesan risotto. I didn't quite measure anything on that try, but I'll be sure to measure it all out and post a recipe for it as well. This time around, I served these with homemade spinach Mac 'n' Cheese and they went well with it; or so I hear.

A couple of things to note while you try making these scallops. First, try to be careful when using salt in this dish as the parmesan cheese and the stock also contain a good amount of salt. I just used a very light sprinkle of the garlic salt on these. Second, be very mindful on the timing since searing requires constant attention so that you don't overcook the scallops; 3 minutes on each side over medium heat should do the job. Although, the time to put this dish together is less than 15 minutes including the prep work, so try not to do anything else when you're cooking this dish. Anyhow, try it out and hope you enjoy!

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Pan Seared Scallops in a Buttery Garlic Parmesan Sauce

Ingredients:

- 6 to 7 frozen wild caught sea scallops (thawed overnight)

- 4 tbsp of unsalted butter

- 2 medium size garlic cloves (minced)

- 1/8 cup of Swanson vegetable or chicken stock

- 1 tbsp of curly parsley (minced)

- 1 tbsp of Sargento grated or shredded parmesan cheese

- all purpose flour for sprinkle

- garlic salt and pepper for spinkle

Directions

1 - Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and place them in a flat dish.

2 - Very lightly sprinkle the side that is up with flour, garlic salt, and pepper.

3 - Heat a non-stick pan over high heat and melt the 1 tbsp of butter completely.

4 - Turn the heat down to medium, and place the scallops in the pan with the flour sprinkled side down. Then sprinkle flour, garlic salt, and pepper on the side that is up and cook for 3 minutes to get a good sear on them. Note: Do not overcrowd the scallops in the pan; place them at least an inch apart in the pan so that they cook evenly and quickly.

5 - Add another tbsp of butter to the pan, and flip the scallops and cook for 3 minutes on the other side until they are seared.

6 - Take out the scallops in a dish and set aside for a few minutes, while you make the sauce.

7 - In the same pan, add the remaining butter and melt it, while scrapping the pan to get the scallop flavor in the sauce.

8 - Add the garlic and parsley in the butter, and let that sizzle for about 20 - 30 seconds.

9 - Add the vegetable or chicken stock and bring it to a boil.

10 - Add the parmesan cheese and melt it together into a sauce. Note: If you need to, adjust the consistency of the sauce to make it thinner using a splash of stock; or thicker by adding a little more cheese.

11 - Place the seared scallops in the sauce and cook for about another minute.

12 - Plate the scallops in a plate to your preference, and then drizzle the remaining sauce all over the scallops. Enjoy!