Prepare scallops by removing the tough little muscle that is attached to the side of the scallop. (It looks kind of like the gristle on a piece of chicken, and is the muscle that attaches the scallop to its shell) I have found that this muscle is sometimes removed before sale, and sometimes not.

Gently rinse the scallops under cold water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. (Test the pan’s heat by adding a few drops of water. If the water evaporates on contact, the pan is hot enough.)

Place scallops in the pan in a single layer, leaving about a half-inch to an inch of space between each one.

Cook scallops until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes, then turn gently using tongs. Cook 2 minutes on the second side.

Remove scallops from pan and let rest on a plate while making the wine butter sauce.

Lower heat to medium. Add 1 Tablespoon of the butter to the pan and saute the scallions and garlic for about one minute, stirring to release the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the wine to the pan and cook for another few minutes. (You can substitute seafood, vegetable or chicken broth if you don’t want to use wine.)

When the sauce starts to bubble, add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter one tablespoon at a time and stir.

Add the lime or lemon juice and stir to combine.

Add the scallops back to the sauce along with any liquid from the plate and turn them around gently in the sauce to bring them back up to temperature.

Remove immediately from the heat and plate the scallops, spooning the wine sauce over each scallop.