Thursday, December 21, 2006

Scrumptious Scallops


Once upon a time I didn't used to like seafood other than white fish. I still don't care for oysters, mussels, pipis, tuataus and clams but I love scallops and shrimp. Fresh scallops have been appearing in our supermarket at quite a reasonable price ($6.99 a dozen) so I decided it was about time I learned how to cook them and to my surprise I've discovered that they're not as scary as I thought.

I saw a great recipe in one of my Simon Holst cookbooks but as usual didn't have all the required ingredients. I did my own thing using Simon's recipe for inspiration and I'll call it...

Scallop and Asparagus Salad

Ingredients
1/2 dozen scallops
Thai sweet chilli sauce
Soy sauce
Bunch of asparagus
Red pepper (capsicum/bell pepper), sliced or diced - however you like it
Red onion, sliced wafer thin
1/4 - 1/2 an avocado, chopped
Assorted salad greens (I used rocket)

Method
Wash scallops, pat dry and trim if necessary
Mix some chilli and soy sauce together and marinate the scallops while you prepare the salad
Break of the stems of the asparagus and discard
Cut the asparagus into smallish pieces
Lightly spray a frypan with a little olive oil and pan fry the asparagus until it is a little charred. Set aside
Assemble your salad
Briefly cook the scallops, turning once - you only need about 2 minutes and if you overcook them they will be like rubber
Dump, er artfully strew the asparagus over your salad
Add the cooked scallops and any remaining cooked marinade

5 comments:

Deb R said...

That looks yummy!!

Lis said...

That is one fantastic looking salad.. I'm so trying this the next time scallops go on sale around here. =)

Anonymous said...

Hey Morv, Did we talk about these scallops at all over our breaks? where's mine? Cilla

barbie2be said...

ok, it is so not fair that i am allergic to shellfish. :(

Anonymous said...

Mo, thanks for the idea for something new for dinner. I'm so tired of "creating" something everyday. Will let you know the better half's reaction. Hugs, Bev