Kyl Haselbauer has 20 years of experience working in fine-dining and modernist kitchens, including Bar Cotto and Anchovies &amp; Olives in Seattle. He is also the owner of Bright Spot, a café and coffee shop in Seattle.

Kyl Haselbauer

There are few things that are as delicious as properly pan-seared scallops. Crispy and browned on the serving side, silky, tender, and luscious within. With the right technique, you can sear scallops like a pro, dialing in the exact texture you want, while achieving an even, beautifully browned sear. The key to searing scallops properly is to cook them mostly on one side, a technique known as unilateral cooking, which allows you to build a deeply browned crust. To prevent the scallops from scorching around the edges, the pan temperature needs to be just right ([f 385] if you want to be exact). Moving and lifting the scallops around as they sear ensures that fat is evenly distributed beneath them, and that every part of the seared sides make even contact with the pan. Our method leans into precision pan temperature control to widen the finishing window: Once we’ve achieved a good sear, we kill the heat, add butter to the pan, flip the scallops, and then let them rest in the foaming butter until the core temperature rises to the perfect doneness. Give it a try, and you’ll be searing up perfect scallops in no time.

Precision Pan-Seared Scallops