Wok-fried fragrant scallops
Ching-He Huang created this dish for a traditional Chinese New Year menu. It’s an elegant starter of pan-fried scallops dressed in sesame, soy and chilli served with crisp watercress. If you like, serve the scallops in their pretty shells to add extra wow-factor.
If you’re making a Chinese feast, try Ching’s pork wontons, garlic spinach longevity noodles, red-cooked cod and maple pineapple recipes.
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Ingredients
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for frying
- A few sichuan peppercorns, toasted in a dry pan and ground in a pestle and mortar, to taste
- 1 small cayenne chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (see tip)
- 1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
- Ground white pepper
- 8 hand-dived king scallops
- 200g watercress, trimmed
- Squeeze lemon juice
- Drizzle olive oil
For the dressing
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2.5cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
- 4 tbsp premium dark soy sauce
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar (available from supermarkets)
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 spring onion, finely sliced
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- Small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
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Method
- Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl (see Make Ahead), then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, mix the oil, ground sichuan pepper, cayenne and rice wine with 4 pinches each of salt and ground white pepper.
- Heat a drizzle of rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, then add the scallops and cook for 2 minutes. Carefully turn them over (in the order in which you put them in the pan), then pour in the sichuan mixture and continue frying until just cooked through (about 2 more minutes, or to your liking).
- In a medium bowl, toss together the watercress, lemon juice and olive oil. Divide among 4 plates, top with the scallops and cooking juices from the pan, then drizzle with the dressing. Serve straightaway.
Nutrition
- 205kcals Calories
- 12.5g (1.8g saturated) Fat
- 18.6g Protein
- 3.9g (3.1g sugars) Carbs
- 1.2g Fibre
- 2.4g Salt
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