How do I ensure that I cook scallops all the way through? Whenever I cook scallops, they tend to shrink up quickly and burn on the outside.  Even though I leave them in the pan for several minutes at a time, despite the shriveling and burning, they always end up raw in the middle.  The insides are cold, fishy tasting, and, to be honest, pretty nauseating.  What am I doing wrong?  I usually saute them in a little oil on high heat, flipping them every so often when the side touching the pan starts to brown and stick.  Scallops are my favorite food; please help!

Thanks!

Alyssa
High heat and quick cooking are essential for scallops. Several minutes cooking will result in fishy racquetballs.

Firstly, remove the scallops from the fridge half an hour or so before you cook them, so they're not stone cold (but don't put them anywhere warm or in the sun). Heat your olive oil in a pan until it starts to sizzle. Season the scallops, then place them in the oil. Don't move them for 90 seconds so they develop a nice crust. Once that's happened, turn them over and cook for another 90 seconds. That's it.

If you want to see the process, Gordon Ramsay's official YouTube channel has a couple of videos:

Part One
Part Two

(Part two follows straight on, so you can see how quickly they're done).