Seared Sea Scallops with Parsley Sauce

Make the parsley sauce base. Bring a large pot of salty water to a rolling boil, and set up a large bowl filled with ice water nearby.

Dip the chives into the boiling water (watch your hands -- it can get steamy hot!) for 10-15 seconds, then plunge into the ice water. Do the same for the parsley, only keep it in the boiling water for 30-40 seconds.

Squeeze out much of the water in the herbs, then chop them finely. Put them into a food processor and buzz until it makes a paste. Add a little water if you need to get things rolling.

OPTIONAL: For a finer sauce, push the herb mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any fibrous bits. If you don't do this, you will get a more rustic sauce.

Salt the scallops well on both sides and set aside at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

Cook the Scallops. Heat a saute pan -- not a non-stick pan! -- over high heat for a minute or two. Add a thin layer of canola or grapeseed oil into the pan and swirl it to coat.

Pat the scallops dry and place them down in the pan. Give them room; you might need to sear in batches. If you do, heat the oven to warm and put a plate inside to store your scallops.

Don't move the scallops for at least 2 minutes. You want a good, dark sear like you see in the picture. The scallops will release easily off the bottom of the pan when that sear is achieved. The key is high heat and not too much oil.

Turn the scallops and repeat on the other side.

If you need to do separate batches, add a bit more oil to the pan in between batches.

Finish the sauce. Add the wine to the saute pan and scrape any bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Boil this hard until it is reduced by two-thirds, then turn off the heat.

Add the butter and swirl to combine and melt it. Once the butter is incorporated into the mix, add the parsley-chive mix and swirl to combine.

Taste it and check for salt. You may need some.

Serve the sauce under the sea scallops, and garnish with parsley leaves.