Asian Scallop Stew With Coconut Ginger And Lime Food

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH ASIAN LIME-CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Soak skewers in water 30 minutes.
• Pound garlic, chile, and sugar to a fine paste with a mortar and pestle. Stir paste together with vinegar, fish sauce, water, and lime juice. (Alternatively, purée sauce ingredients together in a blender.)
• Pat scallops dry. Thread 4 on each skewer (flat sides facing out; see photo), then brush both sides with oil (2 teaspoons total for 4 skewers). Season scallops with salt and pepper.
• Brush a 12-inch nonstick skillet with remaining teaspoon oil and heat over high heat until hot but not smoking. Sear scallops, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 6 minutes total.
• Serve scallops with sauce spooned over.

THAI-STYLE SCALLOPS AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Combine the shallots, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, shrimp paste, coriander, lime zest and juice in a food processor or a large mortar. Thrash to a paste.
• Heat the oil in a heavy sauté pan on high. Add the seasoning paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the asparagus and stir. Add the scallops, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring gently, another 3 minutes. Add the fish stock, coconut milk and sriracha, simmer another 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and more sriracha to taste. Serve with the steamed jasmine rice.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH GINGER-LIME BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes and wrap them tightly in foil. Roast until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (If you are using larger sweet potatoes, they may require 15 minutes more in the oven.)
• Using a paring knife, remove the small hard "foot" from the edge of each scallop. Pat scallops dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Put on a medium pot of salted water to boil for the greens.
• Meanwhile, make the ginger butter: Combine butter, ginger, chile and lime zest and juice and stir together until well incorporated. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.
• Take a cast-iron skillet large enough to hold the scallops without crowding and place over medium-high heat. Add a film of olive oil. When the oil is nearly smoking, add the scallops in one layer and let them sizzle. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for at least 5 minutes. Use a small spatula to check the scallops as they brown, allowing them to color gradually. They should be quite crisp and well caramelized. Turn off heat and flip scallops. Leave in pan until firm to the touch.
• While the scallops are cooking, blanch the bok choy: Cook it for 1 minute in the salted boiling water, then drain and blot on a kitchen towel. Keep warm.
• Remove and place scallops, browned side up, onto warmed serving plates. Surround with the bok choy leaves and halved or sliced sweet potatoes.
• Quickly warm the butter in the cast-iron pan and spoon over everything. Sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

ASIAN SCALLOP STEW WITH COCONUT, GINGER AND LIME

Steps:

• Combine scallops, coconut milk, red bell pepper and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Bring just to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until scallops are just opaque in center, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Mix in lime juice, fish sauce and green onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve.

ASIAN GINGER SCALLOP STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Place scallops in a glass or ceramic bowl, pour over the combined lime juice, shaoxing and crushed garlic and mix gently.
• Allow the scallops to marinate for 15 minutes, but no longer, as otherwise they will begin to ‘cook’ in the lime juice.
• Meanwhile grate the ginger, cut the spring onions diagonally into ½” lengths, slice the mushrooms, and dice the red pepper.
• Pour the sesame oil into a wok or large skillet, and heat until almost smoking.
• Add the ginger, spring onions, mushrooms and red pepper, and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until the ginger becomes fragrant.
• Next add the scallops and marinade, and continue stir-frying for another 3 minutes, until scallops become opaque.
• Add the soy sauce and mix thoroughly with all the other ingredients.
• Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
• Mix the corn starch and water together into a paste, drizzle into the wok, and cook stirring for another minute or two or until the sauce has thickened and is smooth.
• Serve immediately with steamed white rice.