Scallops & Vegetables

A 30-minute skillet dinner where bay scallops, crispy bacon, mushrooms, and snow peas come together in a glossy sherry-lemon sauce. The bacon renders first, and a tablespoon of that smoky fat becomes the cooking oil for everything that follows. The scallops cook in just 3 minutes until white, then the vegetables get a quick covered steam with dry sherry before a cornstarch slurry pulls the whole thing into a silky, spoonable sauce.

Cooking the scallops and removing them before adding the vegetables is the key to keeping them tender. Bay scallops go from perfectly cooked to rubbery in under a minute, so they go back in only at the very end to reheat gently.

The lemon juice stirred in at the finish brightens the rich, smoky sauce and cuts through the bacon fat.

Kitchen Tips

• Pat the scallops dry before adding to the skillet. Wet scallops steam instead of browning.
• Cover the mushrooms and snow peas while they cook with the sherry. The trapped steam cooks them quickly while keeping the snow peas crisp-tender.
• Mix the cornstarch with cold water before adding to the hot skillet. Adding dry cornstarch directly creates lumps.
• Serve immediately over hot rice. The sauce thickens as it cools and won’t pour as nicely if it sits.

Variations

• Swap bay scallops for sea scallops cut in half for larger, meatier bites.
• Add sliced water chestnuts with the mushrooms for extra crunch.
• Use white wine instead of sherry for a lighter, brighter sauce.