Friday, March 23, 2007

Pan-Seared Scallops Marinated with Ginger and Orange Juice on a Bed of Sauteed Pea Shoots

Scallops and Pea Shoots 1
Well, I don't know if this really classifies as Vietnamese food except for the fact that I made it and I used nuoc mam (fish sauce). :P So all foods that I can't figure out what to label it are stuck under fusion. And if you noticed, I also created a new category for types of meat as well, which makes it a lot easier than trying to figure out what type of cuisine to stick my recipe under. This is actually the first time I've ever cooked with scallops. I saw this package of five large scallops on sale for $2.39. Wow! Less than 50 cents apiece. Yes, I know, it's probably near the end of its shelf life so I had to cook it soon. But at that price, I'm all over it. So when I started trying to figure out what to do with the scallops, I just started tossing in what I had in my cupboards and fridge. I titled it with a ginger and orange juice marinade because those are the two strongest flavors, but I could definitely taste notes of everything I used. And since serving scallops alone on a plate didn't seem particularly pretty photography-wise, I decided to serve them on a bed of sauteed pea shoots. Besides, I gotta eat some greens.
Scallops and Pea Shoots 2
Pan-Seared Scallops Marinated with Ginger and Orange Juice on a Bed of Sauteed Pea Shoots You'll need: A lot of pea shoots, washed and drained (Can be found at most Asian grocery stores. I filled up a plastic fruit and vegetable bag, and after cooking, it reduced down to a plateful.) 5 fresh scallops, or however many you want 1/2 tsp Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce) Juice of 1 small lime or half a lemon About a 1/4 cup of orange juice 1 tblsp or so of white wine 1/2 tsp of Korean chili flakes, or any other dried chili of your choosing A few twirls of freshly ground black pepper A small knob of ginger, minced A few sprigs of cilantro, chopped 1 scallion, sliced thinly Add all ingredients to bowl and let scallops marinate.
Scallops and Pea Shoots 3
Meanwhile, wash and drain your pea shoots. In a big wok, drizzle some sesame oil and toss in all of the pea shoots. They'll quickly start reducing. I just take a pair of tongs and start tossing it around until everything is cooked. Should only take a few minutes. This pile will soon look like...
Scallops and Pea Shoots 4
...this. Arrange on a plate.
Scallops and Pea Shoots 5
Pan-sear the scallops first without the marinade. Remove the scallops onto a plate. Then pour the marinade into the pan and let it reduce into a sauce on its own. Then drizzle the sauce over the scallops.
Scallops and Pea Shoots 6
Don't turn away from the stove. The scallops will cook faster than you think and the sauce will reduce quickly.
Scallops and Pea Shoots 7
The scallops had a lovely ginger and orange juice tang, the fish sauce added depth, the chili flakes provided a slight spicy kick, and the very greenness of the pea shoots was a nice complement. Enjoy!

9 comments:

  1. Haha...pea shoots do reduce by a lot after cooking :D
    And you know what, I just used orange juice for some dressing today !
    Love those scallops..big and juicy! Where did you get yours from? So cheap!

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  2. Oh my..those scallops look lovely! Nice blog by the way :)

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  3. i would reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally love to take a bite of that scallop!

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  4. Hey WC - You sure are cooking up a storm!!!! Any leftovers for me?

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  5. Wow, that looks so good, and it is great that it was so affordable! And I agree that because it was made with nuoc mam it is a Vietnamese dish!

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  6. Tigerfish,
    I got mine at Vons. But I think it was purely b/c they were at the end of the sell-by date so they were drastically reduced.

    Expedited Writer,
    Thanks! And welcome!

    Kay,
    They were delicious. :)

    Kirk,
    There's always room at my table for you. :)

    Passionate Eater,
    I agree, anything with nuoc mam makes it VNese huh? ;)

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  7. This looks super yummmy, I love scallops to death! I heard they have 0 cholesterol?

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  8. Mmm looks yummy! I've never cooked scallops before because they're just too expensive. :( I like the bigger version of pea shoots. They have those cute swirly vine, but it's too bad those pieces are tough.

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  9. RM,
    0 cholestrol? I did google cholestrol and seafood and apparently it's lower than the amount in eggs. So yippee! More shrimp for you! :)

    Amy,
    I've never cooked scallops before either so when I saw how cheap these were, I just had to try it myself. I love the bigger pea shoots too. Gotta check to see if my farmers' market is stocking them soon. I get a nice big bunch for $1.

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