One recipe Chef Giesman and his team have up their sleeves is for seared sea scallops. Served with fragrant brown rice over a bed of fresh, crunchy stir-fried vegetables, this dish is perfect for Lenten observances or a meatless meal.
Seared Sea Scallops with Stir-Fried Vegetables and Asian Glaze
(Serves two)
For stir-fry:
- 1 zucchini, cut in half-inch slices
- 1 yellow squash, cut in half-inch slices
- ½ each red and green bell pepper, cut in half-inch chunks
- 12 shitake mushrooms, caps only
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 small can water chestnuts, drained
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Finely-grated fresh ginger, to taste
- Thinly-sliced green onion, to taste
- 2T extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2T sesame oil, divided
- 1 cup brown rice (or rice of your preference), cooked
- Six to eight large, U-10 or U-15 sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry
- White wine
For spice rub: *
- 1T Chinese five spice
- 1T Old Bay seasoning or Lawry’s seasoning salt, whatever your preference
- 1T mixed white and black sesame seeds
For Asian glaze: *
- 1/4 cup sweet chile sauce
- 1/4 cup Teriyaki glaze
- 1/2 cup sesame ginger sauce
- *These proportions make more spice rub and glaze than is needed for this recipe.
Instructions:
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1T of the olive oil and 1T of the sesame oil. Toss the scallops in the spice mixture until well-coated. Place scallops in pan and sear, approximately two minutes.
- While scallops are searing, heat the remaining olive and sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, squash, peppers and mushroom caps, stirring occasionally.
- After two minutes, turn the scallops over and turn heat to low. After another two minutes, add rice. Deglaze the pan with white wine and allow to simmer slightly.
- Meanwhile, add the carrots and water chestnuts to the vegetables. Cook for approximately five minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Again, deglaze the pan with white wine.
- Layer vegetables, rice and scallops on a plate. Top with Asian glaze, sliced green onion and additional black and white sesames seeds, then serve.
If you have a favorite seafood dish — or once you’ve had a chance to try this one — please share in the comments!