Tropical Scallop Cocktail Food

SCALLOP AND SHRIMP COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the scallops, reduce the heat and poach gently for about 2 minutes. Drain well and chill at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
• Stir together the onion, clam-tomato juice, ketchup, lime juice, cilantro, serrano chile and hot sauce in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Quarter the scallops. Add the scallops and shrimp to the sauce and stir gently to combine. Divide among 4 glasses or bowls. Serve with saltines or chips.

ISLAND-STYLE SEARED SCALLOPS WITH MANGO SALSA

Steps:

• Place the rice in a colander and rinse several times with cold water until the water runs clear. Set aside. Add the coconut milk & water to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add in the rinsed rice. Stir to combine. Cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low, simmering gently for 15 minutes, or until most of the coconut milk has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Finish the rice by fluffing it with a fork, then carefully folding in the salt, lime zest, lime juice, & cilantro. Set aside for serving.
• Meanwhile, as the rice cooks, clean the scallops. Remove the scallops from the packaging. Quickly rinse under cold water. Check each scallop for its side muscle (the adductor muscle that attached the scallop to its shell): if present, it will look like a small, rectangular tag right along the side of the scallop, with its fibers running opposite the fibers in the scallop itself. Use your fingers to gently tear it away. Transfer the cleaned scallops to a paper towel-lined plate. Gently press a second piece of paper towel over top to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, as the rice cooks, prep the mango salsa. Add all listed ingredients to a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside for serving, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Add the avocado oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the scallops generously with salt & ground black pepper. Once the oil is hot, cook the scallops: working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, carefully transfer the scallops to the skillet. Cook, giving the pan a gentle shake every so often, for 2-3 minutes, until a deep golden crust has formed on bottom of the scallops. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until the scallops are opaque & cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
• Spoon some coconut rice into individual bowls. Top with a generous spoonful of mango salsa. Top it off with 3-4 seared scallops. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice or sprinkling of extra cilantro, as desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH TROPICAL SALSA

Steps:

• In a bowl combine all the ingredients except for the salt, pepper and scallops.
• Toss well. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat.
• Coat the pan with cooking spray.
• Season the scallops with salt and pepper.
• Add half the scallops and sear, turning once, about 2 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
• Repeat with the remaining half of the scallops.
• Top with the salsa and serve.

SCALLOP COCKTAIL WITH AVOCADO

Steps:

• Bring water to boil.
• Clean scallops by removing tough muscle on outer edge.
• Add scallops to boiling water and immediately remove the pot from heat. After 8 minutes, remove scallops from water with slotted spoon and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix lime juice, vinegar, pepper and garlic. Add scallops, mix well and refrigerate for one hour.
• Just before serving, gently toss scallop mixture with avocado cubes, olive oil and cilantro.
• Serves 2 generously atop a bed of butter lettuce. Serves four as an appetizer.
• Preparation time does not include chilling.

MEXICAN SEAFOOD COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Peel all the prawns and chop the raw scallops. Mix the ketchup, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato juice, lime juice and orange juice in a mixing bowl. Season, adding more Tabasco if you prefer it spicy. Fold in the seafood and some cubes of avocado, being careful to mix it in gently so it doesn't go mushy.
• Spoon into bowls or glasses and add some chopped coriander. Serve with some coriander cress on top, if using, and corn tortillas or crackers for scooping.