BAKED SEA SCALLOPS

Steps:

• 1. If you want a great sauce that fits this recipe to a tea, then check out my Hearts of Palm sauce recipe... I got it from a German chef who lived on Grand Cayman Island.
• 2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), and place the rack in the middle position.
• 3. Melt the butter in a small butter warmer, small saucepan, or you could always nuke it in the microwave. Chef's Note: We all use the microwave for a variety of purposes; however, when you use it to melt butter, slow is the way to go... a low setting for about 3 minutes.
• 4. Pour the melted butter into a casserole dish; something around two quarts is perfect. Chef's Note: Since you will be using this dish for presentation, if you have something nice... use it.
• 5. Place the scallops in the dish, and evenly distribute them in rows and columns over the butter.
• 6. Take the breadcrumbs, onion powder, paprika, oregano, minced garlic and parmesan cheese, and combine in a small mixing bowl. Chef's Note: You best tools for doing this are your hands... that way you can break up any lumps.
• 7. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the scallops.
• 8. Bake until scallops are firm; or until an instant-read thermometer reads 146f (64c) this will take about twenty minutes.
• 9. How to Tell if a Scallop is Fresh Look: A good scallop will be cream colored or light beige. Scallops that are tinged with pink are too old and should be avoided. Moisture: Good scallops will be relatively dry. Scallops sitting in liquid are past their prime. Avoid Scallops that are sitting in a milky liquid. Smell: Fresh scallops have a slightly sweet aroma. Bad scallops smell like sulfur or ammonia. Touch: A fresh scallop will be firm to the touch. Scallops too old to eat are soft and slimy.
• 10. Chef's Note: Microwaving a scallop can cause it to explode... I HATE it when that happens.