Dry Scallops Before Seasoning With Salt and Pepper

The Spruce / Danilo Alfaro

The reason it's so important to dry your scallops is that excess liquid will interfere with the searing of the scallops. Instead of tender, golden-brown scallop, you'll wind up with a tough, pale, steamed one.

A related issue is that most scallops you buy at the store have been soaked in a liquid solution that keeps them looking white. So you'll need to drain and rinse them thoroughly, then pat them dry with paper towels before you season them.

If you're lucky, your seafood purveyor carries "dry-packed" scallops, which haven't been treated with this liquid. If so, you don't need to rinse them—just season they and they're ready to cook. Note that scallops have an adductor muscle (sometimes called a "foot") on the side. It's a tough little tab of meat that you should pull off before cooking because it can be kind of chewy.

What about frozen scallops? We'll tell you the truth: frozen scallops are not the best type of scallops for searing, again because of the moisture issue. But it can be done. You're going to have to thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, on a rack with a pan underneath it to catch the liquid that drains out. A colander will also work, but not as well because the scallops will tend to want to clump together because of its curved interior. A flat rack will keep them separate, with space between them.

Once your scallops are dry, season them with a sprinkle of Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.