Smart Semi-Thawing

1. Place your frozen scallops into a large, plastic, zipper bag. Squeeze out as much of the air as you can and seal the bag.

2. Place the bag full of scallops in a large bowl in your sink. Run cool water over the bag as you start your cooking preparations. The point is not to defrost the shellfish entirely, just to get the icy outer layer to soften. Turn the bag once or twice as you pass by the sink.

3. Take the scallops out of the zipper bag and arrange them in a single layer on a triple thickness of paper towels. Place a double layer of paper towels on top of the scallops and press gently on them to help release and sop up any excess water before cooking them.

Perfect Pan-Seared Frozen Scallops

1. Line the bottom of a skillet with olive oil. Add a pat of butter for a bit of extra flavor. Heat the oil and butter until the oil shimmers and you can smell it, and the butter has melted and is beginning to foam. Toss in some minced onion and garlic if you like.

2. Pat the scallops as dry as you can and place them in a single layer in the skillet. Season them salt and pepper, and any other seasonings you prefer. Let the bottoms brown for no more than 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Flip the scallops with tongs, being careful not to squeeze them. Cook the scallops in the hot oil for another 2 to 3 minutes. Cut one open to see if it is nearly done, which means it will be almost translucent all the way through.

4. Cover the skillet and remove it from the heat when the thickest scallop is still cool in the center, but no longer frozen. Let the scallops sit for another 2 to 3 minutes and serve.

Brilliant Broiled Frozen Scallops

1. Preheat your broiler to medium-high. Coat a broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and arrange them in a single layer on the broiler pan. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice across their tops and season them with salt and pepper.

3. Set the broiler pan on the rack just below the highest rack setting. Broil the scallops for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the scallops carefully with tongs and broil them for another 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Remove the broiler pan carefully from the oven and set it on top of the stove or on trivets. Cover the scallops with aluminum foil, being careful not to touch the hot broiler pan. Tent the foil and press down the edges with oven mitts or your tongs. Let the scallops sit for 5 to 7 more minutes to let them finish cooking without the direct heat than can make them tough.