About
Sweet, meaty scallops are pan-seared to golden brown perfection then plated with a delicious toasted garlic oil intermingled with soy sauce. The dish is topped with fresh scallions and served immediately to preserve all the wonderful flavors. If you love seafood and Asian-style flavors, this dish is for you.
What kind of scallops should I buy?
This recipe uses extra-large U-10 frozen scallops. The meatiness and texture of large scallops are very lovely, as well as the quality.
How do I prepare scallops for the best sear?
Especially if using frozen scallops, be sure to place them on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to thaw overnight or a couple of days in the fridge. This process allows them to dry out slightly for the best sear.
How do I achieve the best sear?
Ensuring that your pan is very, very hot is key to the best sear. Use plenty of oil in the pan (having enough to coat the entire pan evenly is crucial). Once the scallops are in the hot oil, do not be tempted to touch them until you start to see a golden-brown crust form at the bottom edges. Lifting and “peeking” will break the sear, resulting in a lackluster sear and overcooked scallops.
Ingredients
- 8 ounce scallops
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt by morton
- 4 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 tablespoon, chopped garlic
- 4 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 medium – 4 1/8" long scallions
Instructions
- Place scallops on a baking rack that has been placed over a rimmed baking sheet. If your scallops are frozen, they will release quite a bit of water. Allow them to thaw overnight or longer, but not more than 2 days. Placing them like this in the fridge will allow them to thaw and dry out before the searing process. This results in the best sear possible. Not to mention, they will be ready to go when it is showtime.
- In a small saucepan, add 2 tbsp avocado oil and minced garlic. Place pan over medium heat. Cook garlic slowly, turning the heat down if the garlic is browning too fast.
- It is ok to cook it on the lowest heat and allow the garlic to slowly brown. Cook until all garlic is browned.
- Then place garlic oil in a mixing cup or bowl and combine with the soy sauce.
- Sprinkle scallops with the kosher salt on both sides. Heat a medium-sized nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Play it safe and give the pan 15-20 seconds more to heat than you think. Add 2 tbsp avocado oil, adding more if it doesn’t cover the entire pan. You want to make sure you have a nice even layer. Add the scallops to the pan. Allow them to sear for several minutes. Do not be tempted to peek under the scallops to check the sear. This will break the sear. Do not flip the scallops until you can clearly see a golden brown edge forming.
- Flip the scallops and cook for only a few seconds longer. You do not want to overcook them. The total cook time for these scallops is around 3-4 minutes max.
- Add a little garlic oil and soy sauce mixture to the plates for serving and top with hot, seared scallops and freshly sliced scallions. You will have extra garlic oil soy sauce which you can use to season other meats with.
Nutrition Facts
- Servings: 2
- Calories: 398.7kcal/1668.3kJ (per serving)
- Fat: 28.4g (per serving)
- Carbs: 11.1g (per serving)
- Protein: 26.6g (per serving)
