Name: Tomato-Ginger Sauce
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter; 1 medium plum tomato , cored, seeded, and chopped small; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger; 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Why This Recipe Works

To devise a pan-seared scallop recipe with a great crust, we seared the scallops in oil, then basted them in butter. Waiting to add the butter ensured that it had enough time to work its browning magic on the scallops, but not enough time to burn. When using scallops treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (a common preservative), we eliminated the chemical flavor in our seared scallop recipe by briefly brining the shellfish in a solution of water, lemon juice, and salt.

Instructions

Heat butter in small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat; cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter turns dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomato, ginger, lemon juice, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt. Cover to keep warm.