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1
Put the oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet and turn the heat to medium-high; begin to dredge the scallops lightly in the flour.
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2
When the butter foam subsides, add the scallops swiftly but not all at once.
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3
Turn them individually, as they brown, allowing about 2 minutes per side.
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4
Season with salt and pepper as they cook.
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5
Once you have turned all the scallops, add the garlic and lower the heat a bit.
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6
Stir or, even better, shake the pan gently so the garlic cooks a bit and is distributed among the scallops.
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7
Garnish and serve.
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8
A venerable tradition: In step 1, use only 1 tablespoon butter or oil; in it, saute about 1/4 cup bacon or pancetta over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 10 minutes; halfway through the cooking time, add 1/4 cup minced shallots.
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9
Quarter the scallops; do not dredge them in flour.
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10
Stir them into the bacon/shallot mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes, until stark white.
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11
Season to taste (omit the garlic), garnish, and serve.
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12
You can finish either the main recipe or the variation this way: Transfer the cooked scallops to a warm platter and turn the heat to high.
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13
Add 1 cup dry white wine (a really good one will not be wasted here) and cook, stirring and scraping the pan with a wooden spoon, until the wine is reduced by more than half and is syrupy and thick.
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14
Pour this over the cooked scallops, garnish, and serve.
