Scallops are wonderfully delicate sea creatures that should be treated with tender loving care. Bay scallops have to be treated even more kindly and prove that good things come in small packages!
Popular ways of preparing bay scallops include tossing them into pasta, drenching them in citrus juice for ceviche or adding them to chowder. One of my favorite ways to enjoy these tiny mollusks is to marinate them in orange juice, cilantro, red onion, red chili, olive oil and sea salt and sauté them quickly in one part ghee, one part olive oil. Once the cooking is done there are several serving options. This time around I made lettuce wraps.
I used butter leaf lettuce because it is soft and folds nicely around the filling, but romaine leaves are a good option since they are crunchy and add an additional level of texture. You can add anything you want to your wraps to suit your tastes.
For this recipe I kept it simple and wrapped my scallops with lettuce. But on other occasions I have added quinoa, Indian-style chick (channa masala from Trader Joes), peanuts, brown rice and soba noodles. If you are making this for a large group and are budget conscious I would advise you to serve the scallops with one or a combination of the items that I listed above. Bay scallops cost roughly $7 -$12 per pound.
The ingredients are as simple as the cooking directions.
Ingredients:
2 pounds bay scallops
1 tablespoon, sea salt
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion (save some for garnish)
¼ cup of fresh cilantro, chopped (save some for garnish)
1 red chili, chopped finely
½ cup of orange juice
Zest of 1 orange for garnish
1 tablespoon of olive oil
For sautéing:
1 tablespoon of ghee
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Directions:
In a medium sized bowl combine the bay scallops, olive oil, orange juice and sea salt. Add the red chili to taste then add large pinch of the red onion and cilantro – the amounts do not need to be perfect, just enough to add flavor to the marinade. Combine the contents of the bowl and marinate for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, drain the bowl ridding it of as much liquid as possible. If the scallops are not dry enough, they will steam in the pan versus sauté. If you feel the need, drain the bowl on paper towels.
Next add the ghee and olive oil to a medium sized sauté pan. Once the pan is hot, add the scallops and sauté for 3 minutes then turn the heat off. You will feel the scallops get firm and turn opaque. They are ready! Serve as desired.
