Seared Scallops With Asian Lime Chile Sauce Recipes

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.

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.

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 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.
• Cooks' note: Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Bring to room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• Place pea pods in heavy small skillet. Add enough water to cover pea pods. Boil 30 seconds. Drain. Rinse under cold water to cool. Drain and pat dry.
• Combine cabbage, bean sprouts, bell pepper, cucumber, green onion, cilantro and pea pods in medium bowl. Add dressing and toss well. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Refrigerate.)
• Divide cole slaw between plates, mounding slightly in center. Combine scallops and soy sauce in small bowl. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add scallops to skillet and cook 30 seconds. Turn scallops and continue cooking until scallops are golden brown on top and bottom and just cooked through, about 20 seconds longer. Divide scallops between plates, arranging decoratively around coleslaw.