Scallop

If you’re going to go the distance gathering all the spices for this multipurpose dry rub recipe (and you should), go ahead and triple the batch.

Seven ingredients and one skillet lead the way to home cooking that's as good as anything you'll eat in restaurants.

Scallops: so meaty and delicious and yet so easy to overcook. That’s why we sear these on only one side, preserving the meltingly tender, near-raw texture on the other end.

Buttery scallops and smoky bacon are balanced by sweet peas and lively mint in this 22-minute dinner.

Chop up a lemon—flesh, rind, and all—and stir it into an herby salsa to spoon over sweet charred scallops.

This is a winning-contestant recipe from Season Four of Fox's MasterChef.

A simple, quick-cooking dish of scallops basted in nutty brown butter and brightened with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Granny Smith apples are ideal for this dish: Their sweet-tart juice complements the rich scallops, and they keep their shape when cooked.

At the end of a long day, this quick seafood dish and a glass of Chardonnay will get you on your merry way toward a relaxing evening. A quick sear is all that meaty sea scallops require, and cooking them in butter creates a nutty, slightly toasted crust. Beurre blanc may be classically French, but it’s also undeniably easy. This tarragon-infused version makes a luscious, slightly anise-flavored blanket for the scallops, which would be cozy atop a bed of sautéed baby spinach.

Grilled nectarines add an unexpected sweetness to this summer dish. The smoky, buttery scallops and caramelized fruit give farmers’ market corn and tomatoes a new way to shine. And it gets a kick from piment d’Espelette, a French hot red chile ground into a powder, and available at specialty foods stores; but chili powder is a fine alternative.

Homemade tomato beurre blanc gives this dish a sophisticated French feel. But it’s easy enough to make for a casual family meal; serve it with rice or a crusty bread to soak up the rich sauce.

Scallops only taste rich: A 4-ounce serving has just 78 calories, and the shellfish can cost less than a good cut of beef. Plus, they’re super easy to cook. See&151;and enjoy&151;for yourself!

"For maximum flavor, I like to toast the nuts until they're almost burnt."

Since I've spent so many years eating and cooking in Spain, I would be remiss if I didn't include a gazpacho in this book. But alas, this is not your abuela's gazpacho. In this version, peaches, plums, and watermelon all come together in a bright, colorful, chilled soup that is topped with a single seared diver scallop. The tart sour plums allow the sweet plump scallop to feel a little less self-conscious in its summery dress. If you can't find sour plums, substitute sweet plums, preferably golden plums, plus the juice of 2 lemons.

Blooming spices, or gently frying them in oil, is a quick way to deepen their flavor.