Take scallops over to the dark side with searing

We've been taught never to expose a sea scallop in the skillet to very high heat, lest its tender meat turn rubbery and dry-looking cracks creep up from the bottom edges.

The new "Poole's: Recipes and Stories From a Modern Diner" (Ten Speed Press, September 2016) has forced me to reconsider that position because of the way chef Ashley Christensen puts a dark sear on them.

One side only is coated with Wondra flour, which promotes a brown crust. These scallops don't spend more time than usual in the pan and are treated to a last-minute bit of brown butter and gremolata made with oil-cured olives. The seafood's sweetness plays against that piquant topping. Pretty simple, yet sumptuous, for a 20-minute meal.