Scallops are a really quick option for a dinner and yet they make the meal seem really high-end (that's because they are). It only takes them about 2 minutes per side to get a nice crust on them and still be creamy and sweet on the inside (longer than that and you get something closer to a pencil eraser). Seriously, it takes longer to fry the bacon than it does to cook the scallops.

Seared scallops are a rare treat around here. First, is that frozen or fresh scallops are pricey so I don't buy them that often.

Second, we usually have to get scallops flash frozen and that can be a pain. I will argue there's nothing wrong with getting flash frozen scallops, despite what some people say. Yes fresh is better, but the flash frozen are still delicious. The only real problem with frozen scallops is getting ones that are dry not wet. What wet means is that they are treated with a sodium solution when frozen, and this causes them to hold water. It is nearly impossible to get a nice sear and crust on a wet scallop. By the time you do you've usually got the whole eraser situation on your hands. Just ask whoever is working the fish counter and they should know what they have on hand. If they don't, you probably don't want to be buying your seafood from them anyway. You can also look on the ingredient list and see if there's anything other than scallops listed. If there is, you probably don't want them.