Man I wish I could eat scallops, but for now, and until I find a cure or something, I’m allergic to these little guys 🙁 I still love to make them for others though!! Usually, I opt for a simple little wine-butter-parsley version, but today, I thought why not do something different?!
I was making some Asian-style short ribs in the Crock Pot already, and wanted to serve the man a little snack/munchy while we waited for the goodness to finish slow-cooking. Knowing he loves scallops, I decided to whip some up! Going with my already Asian-ish theme, I went for a slightly Asian-inspired style scallop, too… tamari, rice vinegar, and clementine (or mandarin) juice make this little saucy glaze. It’s super simple, quick, and easy, despite what you may think.
Scallops are one of those things you see a lot at restaurants, but not really cooked in homes all that much; I think it’s because people think they’re hard. Yes, they’re delicate and do take a certain type of cooking (a super quick sear over a super hot skillet), but they’re really pretty simple. Even though I can’t eat them, I like making them for that very reason. A simple dish that produces a very big thrill…
And how do I know they are good you may ask… let’s just say I have a very honest boyfriend 😉
Serves 1
(oh how I wish I could make this for 2 *sigh*)
INGREDIENTS
3 scallops
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp tamari (coconut aminos or soy sauce if preferred)
1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 clementine or mandarin orange- juiced (save other half for garnish)
sprinkle of salt and pepper
drizzle of oil or ghee
small dab of butter (preferably clarified, like ghee)
green onions/scallions, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Mix sugar, tamari, rice vinegar, and juice
from half a clementine in a small sauce pan
(Don’t mind my Giants nails here 😉 )
Heat sauce over low-medium for a few minutes, until
lightly bubbly and slightly thickening
Meanwhile, begin prepping scallops…
Rinse with cool water and then at dry
Sprinkle with salt and pepper
In a heavy fry pan (cast iron if possible), heat a little oil over high heat
(you want it nearly smoking hot so you can get a nice sear on scallops)
Then just before plopping scallops in, add a teeny dab of butter- be careful,
it has the potential to burn quickly, so be kinda swift here!!
Add scallops, salted/peppered side down- then season the top/unseasoned side while cooking
They don’t take long- about 1 1/2 minutes per side for large guys…
Try not to move them once down- just estimate when you think they’re
nice and browned and then flip just once
It’s really not as complicated as it sounds, but they are delicate so these little tips are important 🙂
Cook other side for about 1 minute or so and then remove from pan
Get garnishes ready… I use scissors to finely slice my scallions, but a knife works, too!
Then plat scallops, top with sauce, and then clementine pieces and scallions (optional)
Enjoy!
