Vaguely-Thai Scallops
Submitted by Billie0232
Buttery scallops and crisp snow peas stir-fried with fresh ginger, garlic, fish sauce, white wine, and a hit of lime. A Thai-inspired seafood dinner that’s on the table in 35 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
15 minREADY
35 minYou don’t need a Thai cooking class to pull this off. Just a hot skillet, good scallops, and a few bold ingredients that do all the heavy lifting.
Fresh ginger and garlic sizzle in butter, then get deglazed with white wine and fish sauce (nam pla) to build a punchy, savory-sweet reduction. Meanwhile, scallops and snow peas get a quick sear in a separate skillet so they stay tender and snappy.
A squeeze of lime juice ties the whole thing together right at the end. Serve it over steamed rice and dinner goes from zero to spectacular in about half an hour.
Chef Tips
- Pat your scallops bone-dry with paper towels before they hit the pan. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear.
- Don’t crowd the skillet. Scallops need space to brown, not steam. One layer only, with a little breathing room between each one.
- Two minutes is all the scallops need once the snow peas go in. The second they lose their translucent look, pull them off the heat. Overcooked scallops turn rubbery fast.
- Sea scallops give the best sear, but bay scallops work fine. Just skip the slicing and adjust cook time down since they’re smaller.
Ingredients
Directions
Start some rice cooking, so it will be done when the scallops are done.
If you’re using large (sea) scallops, slice them into strips about ¼ inch thick.
If you’re using small (bay) scallops, don’t bother slicing them.
Rinse and drain the snow peas and remove the strings.
Cut the pods into 1-inch lengths.
Heat a small saucepan or skillet, then put in a little butter.
Add the ginger and sauté for 30 seconds, then add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
Add the wine and fish sauce, and reduce the mixture by half, stirring often.
Keep this hot during the next few steps, but stir it so that it doesn’t burn.
Heat a skillet large enough to hold the scallops in one layer, and melt the rest of the butter.
Over moderately high heat, add the scallops and pepper to taste.
Add the snow peas and stir-fry until the peas have change color and the scallops have turned opaque, about 2 minutes.
Don’t overcook the scallops, just cook them until they’ve lost their translucent look.
Add the sauce and lime juice to the skillet and stir everything for a few seconds, until well-mixed.
Serve immediately.
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