Seared Sea Scallops with a Spicy Dipping Sauce

Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. Try this dish for a taste of the sea with a little kick. Pairs excellently with my Asian Veggie Stir Fry.

Servings: Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the scallops

  • 6 – 8 sea scallops
  • olive oil spray
  • sea salt and pepper

For the spicy dipping sauce

  • 3 tsp of minced garlic. (Jar garlic will do)
  • 2 Tbl of Bragg’s Aminos
  • 2 Tbl of rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp of Truvia
  • ¼ – ½ tsp of red pepper flakes (or to your liking. I used a ¼ tsp and my mouth was WELL heated)
  • 2 Tbl of lemon juice
  • 1 Tbl of fresh cilantro, minced

Instructions:

For the scallops

To prep the sea scallops just rinse them in a colander and then place them gently on two pieces of paper towels. You want them to drain. (I am teaching you how chefs do this so you have a chance of getting a good crust on your scallops. A good crust is elusive to most home cooks). Then lightly sprinkle with grated sea salt. Pepper is optional. Put another layer of paper towels on top. GENTLY press down just a bit to get the moisture into the paper towels. Don’t squish them. Be gentle. And then just let them sit for 10 minutes. Part of the secret to crusted scallops is to let them dry a bit.

To prep your pan, you’ll want to heat it on medium high for a few minutes. You want it pretty hot before you put anything in it. (This is another secret). Take off the paper towels. Now liberally spray the tops of the scallops with olive oil spray.

Be prepared to move quickly.

Spray the pan with olive oil spray and immediately begin to gently put each scallop into the pan salt side down. MAKE SURE you leave room between each scallop. I leave an inch between each one. (This is another secret. If you have them too close together they will steam each other instead of getting a good sear. You’ll have too much moisture). So, use a big sauté pan. Cook the scallops on medium for 3 minutes to get that nice brown crust. DON’T touch them. Don’t move them around. (This is another secret. If you move them around they won’t get crusty).

At the three-minute mark, you gently turn them over. I use a tong and move carefully. They are resilient little buggers but you don’t want to get rough with them. How long you cook them now will depend on how done you like them. My husband prefers his cooked through but not rubbery so I leave them for another 2 – 3 minutes. If they start to crack they are definitely done. Don’t expect a crust on the second side. In Z2 that’s a lot to expect. In Z3, you’ll use a thin pool of olive oil and that will give you the potential to have a crust on both sides. I don’t worry about the second side. I only need the crust on the top.

Serve immediately. Scallops don’t stay warm long. The scallops are good on their own and can be served with a variety of side dishes. I paired them with my Asian Veggie Stir Fry, but don’t think of them as just Asian. The side could be French or Italian too. Even American.

For the spicy dipping sauce

Put all the ingredients except the cilantro in a very small sauce pan. Heat until bubbling. Turn off. Add the cilantro and stir.

This dipping sauce goes wonderfully with the scallops, but can be served with any kind of fish or seafood. Shrimp would be great. If you do fish you can drizzle it over the top but be sure to taste test to make sure you can handle the heat. Some love heat!

Enjoy!

Cheers,