½ cup hummus your favorite brand, just make sure it's unflavored
a handful of fresh watercress, cleaned and dried (optional)
Fresh torn mint leaves, to garnish optional
Pomegranite seeds, to garnish optional
Instructions
Pat the scallops dry well and let them sit covered with paper towels in the fridge for an hour before you cook them to ensure they're dry. this is especially important with frozen scallops, which can be good.
Inspect the scallops you will cook and choose which side will look more attractive when it's seared--the attractive side of each scallop is the plating side, and the one you will sear.
Heat a heavy skillet with the fat until smoking. Turn on a fan or hood vent, or open a window to help it not get smoky. Alternately, heat a cast iron pan in the coals of a grill outside.
Season the scallops on the plating side, then put them plating side down in the ripping hot skillet. Make sure to use a large pan (12 inches in size will be good) to make sure the scalllops do not touch.
Cook the scallops on high heat, without touching them, until you can see a touch of brown around the edges. This should take at least 5 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, peek until the side of the scallops and judge the color. You are looking for a mohogany crust here, not some blonde, yellow B.S. sear.
When the scallops have a solid sear on them, turn the heat to medium, then flip them over in the pan to just kiss the other side. Attempting to brown both sides of the scallops will ensure your home-cooking keeseter will overcook them.
Meanwhile, heat up a few plates, then put a spoonful of hummus in three spots on each plate to act as a bed for the scallops. Put a scallop on each dollop of hummus, then spoon the Tkemali sauce around.
Toss the watercress with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a touch of lemon juice to taste, and arrange a few sprigs in the middle of each cluster of scallops. Finish by sprinkling on a few pomegranate seeds and torn mint leaves. Serve.