Ingredients:
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup arborio rice (risotto rice)
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
4 scallops

Directions:
Remove the scallops from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.

In a large pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter on medium-low heat. Then, add risotto and coat it in the butter, about 1 minute. Next, add 1/4 cup of the broth, stir, and let it sit about 3 minutes or until the broth is mostly absorbed. Add another 1/4 cup of broth, stir, and leave it another 3 minutes. Continue to repeat this process with the remaining broth, in 1/4 cup intervals (about 3 more times, for a total of 15 minutes). Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Then, remove the risotto from the heat, cover it, and let it sit while you cook the scallops.

Before cooking the scallops, pat each side dry with a paper towel; season with salt, if desired, and make sure to remove the muscle on the side of each scallop (feel around the sides of the scallop if it’s hard to see).

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a small pan on low until fully melted. Then, raise the heat to medium and let the butter heat for 1 minute. Add the scallops in, 4 at a time, and cook 1 minute per side, until a golden crust forms on each side. Scallops should be opaque in the middle. Remove first batch of scallops, melt 1 additional tablespoon of butter in the pan, and repeat the steps to cook the second batch. Serve scallops over risotto.