Bought 1/2 pound of Sea Scallops on a whim...Now what?

[ReneeV]

Hi All,
My grocery had fresh sea scallops on sale, so I bought 1/2 pound last night. I'd like to cook them tonight.

What's your favorite, easy recipes? Thanks!

Renée

P.S.
I love scallops, but rarely and not-too-successfully have I cooked them at home.

[greysangel]

YUM YUM YUM!

My other recipe calls for heavy cream so let me know if you want that one. This one is the lesser evil and yummier (IMO) of the two..especially in summer.

JeAnne

Bacon Wrapped Skewered Scallops

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


4 servings


1 lb Mixed or Jumbo Scallops
5 Slices cooked bacon
1 Pineapple; peeled, cored, chunked
1 Sweet onion; peeled and chunked (vidalias work best)
8 Cherry tomatoes
3 Tbs melted butter
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste


1. Preheat grill to medium.

2. Cut bacon into suitable pieces, depending on the size of scallops and wrap them around the scallops.

3. Alternate onion, wrapped scallop, pineapple and tomato on skewers.

4. Mix butter, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice together; season with pepper.

5. Brush mixture over skewers and place them on the barbecue grill. Cook 5 to 6 minutes.

6. Be sure to rotate skewers and baste/season during cooking.

[valchemist]

how about this one? we loved it! I posted my notes at the bottom (Don = DH).

editing to say...
I see you only have a half pound and this recipe call for more. but you could just scale it down or make it as is (with fewer scallops) and just have more of the sauce to go over some rice!


* Exported from MasterCook *

Thai Scallops with Asparagus

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:10
Categories : Fish And Shellfish International
July/Aug '98 Main Dish


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic -- minced
2 cups (2-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1/2
pound)
1/2 cup fat free less sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon chile purée with garlic sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
Basil Sprigs (optional)

Combine the scallops and cornstarch. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops, and stir-fry 4 minutes. Remove scallops from pan. Add minced ginger and garlic, and stir-fry 10 seconds. Stir in sliced asparagus and next 4 ingredients (asparagus through chile purée), and cook, uncovered, 2 minutes. Return the scallops to pan; cover and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat, and stir in chopped basil and grated lemon rind. Serve with rice. Garnish with basil sprigs, if desired.

Serving Size: 1 cup scallop mixture and 1/2 cup rice

Cuisine:
"Asian"
Source:
"Cooking Light, July/August 98, p.148"
Copyright:
"© Cooking Light"
T(Cooking Time):
"0:08"


Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 329 Calories; 7g Fat (18.5% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 56mg Cholesterol; 505mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

my notes:
I forgot to add the basil and lemon zest until after I scooped Don's serving out. Don noticed and I threw it in without stirring. It adds a nice touch. The flavors were great. Could really taste each and every ingredient - garlic, chili sauce, ginger, etc. They blended very well. Extra sauce was great poured over rice. I used a Taste of Thai garlic chili sauce. Could have used a bit more... But I think the level of spiciness was just right for don. served with garlicky brown rice.

[Chris415]

The easiest way to cook them is put them in a baking dish, put a little bit of melted butter and lots of lemon, top with bread crumbs and bake for about a half hour or so. Another one I make lots is making a sauce of kalamata olives, garlic, roasted red peppers, and mustard in the blender. Cook the scallops in a pan, when they're done, cook some diced fresh tomatoes, and serve all on a bed of mesclun. Yum!

(If you want the last recipe, I'll have to give it to you when I get home, probably around 5:30 tonight, sorry!)

[valchemist]

Chris,

I'd love that recipe!

Val

[Ohioan]

This is one of my favorites, and although it calls for both shrimp and scallops, I've made it with just one or the other, and I usually use plain water in lieu of the stock.

Cheers, Phoebe

* Exported from MasterCook *

Shrimp and Scallops with Szechwan Sauce

Serving Size : 4

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3/4 lb shrimp -- peeled
3/4 lb scallops
1 Tbsp peanut oil
2 clove garlic -- crushed
1 Tbsp ginger -- grated
3 Tbsps soy sauce
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsps rice wine
2 Tbsps brown sugar
2 tsps red chili oil
1 1/2 Tbsps rice vinegar
2/3 c beef stock
1 1/2 tsps cornstarch
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Heat the oil almost to smoking in a wok and stir-fry the shrimp and scallops until the shrimp turn pink and the scallops are opaque and firm. (You may want to stir-fry them separately if they're of very different sizes and need different cooking times.) Remove from the wok and set aside. In the remaining oil, stir-fry the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the ginger and fry for another 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, the hoisin and oyster sauces, rice wine, sugar, red chili oil, vinegar, and stock. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring all the time. Boil vigorously for 20 seconds. Return the shrimp and scallops to the wok (separately, if necessary) and heat through until fully cooked.

Mix the cornstarch with 1-1/2 Tbsp cold water. Stir this into the wok and cook over a fairly high heat for 10 seconds. Add a few drops of sesame oil before removing from the wok.

Source:
"A Taste of the Orient"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 279 Calories; 8g Fat (29.4% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 158mg Cholesterol; 1483mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Fully tested.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4267 0 0 0 0

[aggie94]

I love the Thai Scallops recipe that Val posted. :)

[Chris415]

Originally posted by valchemist
Chris,

I'd love that recipe!

Val

No problem, I'll type it up tonight and post it! The funny thing is I've made this so many times, I kind of know it by heart! :eek:

Not sure about the fat/calories, etc., but I think it should somewhat light.

[TLee4]

The Seafood Alfredo from a couple of months ago is SO good and easy, and has scallops in it. I just made it this weekend for the second time, although I had no scallops this time so I skipped them.

[dixie]

I ate lunch at Food 101 today and had a great seared scallop salad....mixed baby field greens, roasted red peppers, mandarin oranges, thinly sliced red onions, a bit of goat cheese and 6 seared scallops...tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette...it was delicious, light but filling.

[Lauren]

Our neighbors came over last Saturday night for a cookout. Anyway, Beth (the neighbor) marinated scallops in white wine, garlic,lemon and fresh rosemary from her garden. We cooked them on the grill and they were so good! Can't get any easier than that!

[ReneeV]

Boy where to start? They all look delicious.
I'm leaning toward the Thai scallops or a salad with seared scallops. But I will copy them all and try them eventually!

Thanks again. YOu guys are great!

Renée

[Gail]

Grilled scallops are-- as Lauren mentioned-- splendid. Though her suggestion sounds better than mine, I'll toss in my two cents worth anyway by mentioning that one of my favorites at a local seafood place is mesquite grilled sea scallops on a skewer, which are laced with a tiny bit of bacon, and brushed with a bit of margarine and paprika. Very simple, very tasty.

And though I've posted this one before, and I happen to prefer it with bay scallops-- I'll run it by you all the same, because it is quite good.

BAKED SCALLOPS IN HERB SAUCE

2 pounds bay or sea scallops
6 tablespoons butter
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon basil or tarragon
Salt
Pepper

Drain scallops. Leave bay scallops whole. Cut sea scallops in 2 or 3. Divide among 8 cups.

Melt butter in small pan. Add shallots. Cook 2 minutes until tender. Cool, then add garlic, parsley, chives, basil or tarragon, salt and pepper. Spoon butter over scallops, then seal each container tightly with foil. Can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead and refrigerated. (There you go, Lanie! A feature you'll appreciate!)

To complete, bake at 425º until scallops are opaque, 12 to 14 minutes. Do not overcook or scallops will be tough.


And here are a couple of previous threads on the subject:

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?threadid=3310&highlight=scallops
http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?threadid=20023&highlight=scallops
http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?threadid=11465&highlight=scallops

[Chris415]

Here you go Val and anyone else who wants it. Hope you enjoy it! Yum! :D


Grilled Sea Scallops and Tomatoes with Olive Vinaigrette
¼ c. pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
1 TBS chopped roasted red pepper (I’ve left this out if I don’t have them)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 TSP Dijon mustard
1 TBS red wine vinegar
Generous squeeze of lemon
¼ C. extra virgin olive oil (I don’t use nearly this amount, much less)
½-3/4 pound sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry (I normally buy more, the vinaigrette makes quite a bit)
2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 cups mesclun mix, arugula, or baby spinach

In blender, blend olives, peppers, garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, until smooth. With motor running, add 3 TBS of oil in a stream and blend until emulsified. Salt and pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, toss scallops with remaining oil and salt and pepper to taste. Heat a ridged grill pan over high heat until hot, and pan grill scallops until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. (I don’t have a grill pan, so I just cook them in a skillet. Takes much longer than 2 minutes, though.) Transfer to plate and keep warm. Grill tomatoes in same pan, over high heat until tender and lightly charred, 1-2 minutes per side. Toss greens with half of the vinaigrette, divide between 2-3 plates. Top with warm scallops and tomatoes. (I actually place the mesclun on the plate, top with scallops, tomatoes, then the vinaigrette.)

[nowimcooking]

Even just grilling with a touch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper is simply delicious. Serve over greens with a light vinaigrette....YUM!

[valchemist]

that looks great, chris. thanks!

[valchemist]

I made Chris415's Grilled Sea Scallops and Tomatoes with Olive Vinaigrette last night and it was excellent. When I served it, DH commented that it looked like a lot of work (which it wasn't) and that you'd pay $20 for that in a restaurant. (FYI, that is a lot of money for a dinner around these parts. May be cheap if you live in NYC.)

I used about 2 Tbsp olive oil in the olive sauce and just about 1 Tbsp for the scallops. So the whole recipe only had 3 Tbsp oil, not 1/4 cup. The sauce was really pungent and flavorful...tasted great with the baby spinach, tomatoes and scallops but it would be great for other uses, too. (It's called a vinaigrette, but I am calling it a sauce, because it was a bit thicker than a dressing...maybe that's because I used a little more olives and peppers than was called for and a little less oil.)

Anyway, this is a really easy dish to make and it is very tasty. I think it would be a nice dish to serve to company on a summer day.

Thanks for the recipe, Chris!

Val

[maizeyoats]

My favorite scallop recipe comes from a famous Boston seafood restaurant "Jimmy's Harborside".
It is so simple to make and you will really love this recipe. The only trick is having really good fresh sea scallops. Fortunately we have been having really good scallops at great prices.
I made this Friday and served it over light brown rice. I will leave one note at the end of the recipe.

Jimmy's Harborside Scallops

1 pound fresh or frozen bay or sea scallops
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1/3 cup soft cracker or bread crumbs
Dash garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard (optional)


Preheat broiler.

If using large sea scallops, slice horizontally through center. Add sherry to the melted butter. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter/sherry mixture in shallow baking pan and arrange scallops in single layer. Combine crumbs and seasonings and sprinkle over scallops. Drizzle remaining butter/sherry over scallops. Broil about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve hot with lemon wedges. Serves 3 or 4 as a main course, 6 to 8 as an appetizer.

My Notes.
I bake these instead of broiling and then broil to brown the last 2 minutes. I also use the sherry after they are cooked and lemon too. Also made these with sourdough bread crumbs.

[MelissaAS]

Made this recipe last night with 1lb. of bay scallops and it was yummy (though definitely NOT light!). Easy and quick too. Definitely finish under the broiler to get a little crunch. As good as I've had "out" for seafood here in New England...

Maiseyoats- Thanks for posting!

Melissa

[Tiger]

Val,
I finally got around to making the Thai scallops with Asparagus tonight and I must say Wow! Easy, quick and yummy!:D I love dishes which covers all bases. No side dishes to worry about!
My DH doesn't like asparagus so I sub. fresh stringbeans and it worked fine. I've been looking for a new scallops dish. thanks for posting.

[JackieO]

YUM!!!

Our grocery store had frozen sea scallops on sale last weekend, so I bought a bag and threw them in the freezer, figuring I could do a search on the CL board during the week and find a way to prepare them this weekend. This old thread cropped up on the search, and since I had most of the ingredients on hand (incl. an unopened bottle of Thai chili-garlic sauce in the pantry!), we had the Thai Scallops that Val posted for dinner tonight.

I followed the recipe exactly, except I couldn't find fresh basil in northern WI in November :rolleyes: , so I substituted Penzey's dried. But I agree totally with Val's assessment -- the flavors blend but yet are distinctive. There was a bit of heat, but it wasn't overpowering.

This recipe is a keeper!

[Kayaksoup]

Originally posted by nowimcooking
Even just grilling with a touch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper is simply delicious. Serve over greens with a light vinaigrette....YUM!
YES or, just seared in browned butter....with a shot of lemon if you think its necessary.