Scallops are a wonderful seafood item that cook quickly and taste wonderful by themselves or in a number of dishes such as pasta. We love their firm-soft texture and subtle “sea” flavor as well. When we are cooking scallops we like to pan fry them so that we can keep an eye on them. Scallops are a great example of “fast food” you will want to get them in and out of a pan fast!

Trader Joe’s has a number of different kinds of scallops to choose from (different sizes and with or without sauces). Today we chose to cook Trader Joe’s New England Wild Jumbo Seallops. (Frozen Sea Scallops).

What we do is to thaw the scallops in cool water, and then dry them off with a paper towel.

Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper (if you want).

Heat your pan (we like to use a non-stick skillet) on medium-high until hot.

Add your oil to the pan -1 -2 Tablespoons and turn the pan to coat evenly.

Place scallops in the pan, one at a time, to cook. Remember to leave room between the scallops so only fill the pan 1/3 to ½ full.

Cook for 2-3 minutes and then turn over. The scallops should be a nice golden color.

Cook on the second side for 2-3 more minutes or until your scallop is fully cooked. Cut a scallop in half and make sure that the whole scallop is the same color on the inside. Raw scallops are more translucent, cooked scallops are firm and creamy-white.

Remove scallops from pan. Scallops are ready to serve.

If you are cooking the scallops in a couple of batches, keep the cooked scallops warm in a covered oven-proof dish (in a low temp oven) until all the scallops are ready.

Scallops really are that quick and easy to prepare and serve. Try and not cook them for too long or they will get very chewy.

A bit dark and blurry…. but you can some of the color and the juice that has come out of the scallops.

How often do you eat scallops?