And to CRS and Summer of Eggplant's combined recipe, I would add just a spritz of lemon juice at the very end.

I do a basic recipe just like Summer of Eggplant, although I cook for only a minute on the second side. I throw some sage leaves in after I flip because I love browned butter and sage.

Pan seared, sprinkle with salt and pepper, heat skillet with butter for about 2 minutes until just golden brown, sear 3 minutes per side.

Make sure they are very dry before you apply them to heat as well!

Scallops are my single most favorite food in the world, so I have scads of (what I think are) great recipes for them. They all have two things in common: they are cooked quickly over high heat, and none of them include tomatoes. (I think the flavor of tomatoes overtakes the delicate flavor of the scallops.)

very quickly over a smoking hot frying pan. I like to have black pudding with scallops and a warm salad dressing. deglaze with red wine vinegar, mustard (this spits a bit!), olive oil,poured over salad leaves and a poached egg to top it all.

Here is the winning recipe of the food52 scallop contest:

http://www.food52.com/recipes/4080_seared_scallops_with_spring_onion_and_tarragon_cream