1 1/2 pounds large sea scallops (about 24)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black bepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Juice of 2 oranges
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon zest
Rinse the scallops under cool water, pat dry with a paper towel, and place them in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and cayenne, and toss gently to coat.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium- high heat until the butter melts and sizzles. Working in batches, place the scallops in the hot skillet, leaving about 1/2 inch between each scallop. Sear the scallops, undisturbed for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, until they are opaque and light golden around the edges. The scallops will continue to cook after they're out of the pan so it's better to undercook than overcook them. Remove the scallops from the pan, place them on a platter, and cover looselhy with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the second and possibly third batch of scallps. adding more butter or oil to the pan as needed.
When all the scallops are cooked, pour the orange juice, lemon juice, and 1/2 of the lemon zest into the skillet, scrapping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add any juices that have acculmulated around the scallops. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until it reduces by half. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon fo butter until it melts.
If the scallops have cooled too much, return them to the pan with the sauce to warm very briefly over medium heat before serving. Serve the scallops over rice with the sauce spooned over them and sprinkled with the remaining lemon zest. Serves 4 to 6