Seared Sea Scallops with White Wine Shallot Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb Clearwater Sea Scallops, thawed
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon oil (for searing)
1 tablespoon butter (for searing)

Sauce Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream

Method:

Pat scallops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Sear scallops for 2 minutes on one side until golden brown, then flip scallops and add butter. Sear and baste for another 2 minutes until just cooked through and remove from the pan.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining butter, shallots, fennel seeds, and bay leaf to the skillet. Sauté until shallots are soft. Pour in white wine and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in creme fraiche (or cream) and simmer until thickened. Serve seared scallops with sauce.

*Scallops may need to be cooked in batches, depending upon size of pan.