Scallops with Spicy Orange Sauce

These huge plump scallops were brought home by the hubby for Valentine's Day.  I love Asian food, so I did a spicy orange sauce over the top - yum!

2 jumbo scallops per person
1-2 swirls olive oil
1 tsp Sambal Oelek (garlic chili paste) per person
A squeeze of fresh orange juice per person
salt and pepper

Clean the muscle off the side of each scallop.  Get a non-stick skillet with a swirl or two of EVOO screaming hot.  Season the scallops with salt and pepper and place in the hot pan.  Cook 30 seconds to a minute or until there is a nice browned edge (the right scallops has a good example of this).  The scallop will go from translucent to a milky white.  Flip over and brown the other side.  I personally would rather have a slightly under-cooked scallop than over cooked - they can turn rubbery.   Remove scallops to a plate that is sitting on the stove top (this will keep them warmer).  Reduce the heat. Add the sambal oelek to the pan and squeeze the orange juice into the pan.  Stir to combine.  Place 2 scallops on each plate and top with a spoonful of sauce.  You can garnish with orange zest and a sprinkle of kosher salt.

This would also be great to do with shrimp!