Do Scallops Scare You?

Scallops scared me for the longest time, until my best friend Kathie and her mom Maria taught me how to prepare them!  Now they are a mainstay in my freezer for those moments I am craving something quick, yet elegant!  Don't be afraid.  I have some tips to help you:

1. Keep a bag of frozen scallops (I love Trader Joe's brand)
2. Defrost under COLD RUNNING water (may take about 5 minutes), but please do NOT leave on the counter to defrost
3. Pat dry, really dry (this is KEY)
4. Get a pan hot over medium to medium-high heat 
5. Use a vegetable oil, not butter (yet), but don't put too much--just enough to coat the bottom of a pan
6. Don't crowd the pan or the oil will drop too much in temperature
7. Flip only once--be sure that the side is browned enough before you turn the scallop
8. Don't overcook, they are like shrimp and only take about 3-5 minutes to cook (Fast Food, huh?)
9. Remove the scallops once cooked and finish the pan off with a pat of butter to make the sauce glisten. Now you're ready!

Asian Inspired Scallop Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

12 scallops

1/4 cup flour

Salt & Pepper 

2-3 Tbsp oil

Baby Greens

Carrots, grated

Cucumber, diced or sliced

Asian Vinaigrette 

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 inch grated ginger
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp light soy sauce

Directions:

• Prepare your salad plates and whisk your vinaigrette ingredients together. 
• Follow above tips regarding scallop preparation. Pat dry and heat pan.  Season flour with salt & pepper. Toss scallops lightly with flour.  Add 1/2 of the scallops to the heated pan.  Flip in 3 minutes or once a brown crust forms on the bottom.  Once cooked, remove and place on paper towels and begin the next batch. When all are cooked, add in 1 tbsp of butter to pan.  Scrape up brown bits and then add in 2-3 Tbsp of vinaigrette mixture.  Return scallops to pan to toss in sauce.  Serve with salad greens. 
• Toss lettuce with remaining vinaigrette and serve!