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Spicy Scallops ♥️ for episode 9 of my restaurant series. The flavors on this dish are truly a dream. Scallops are one of my favorite things to cook for myself and others because I feel like they are truly a low effort, high reward meal! They are super versatile and almost always a crowd pleaser.
Why You’ll Love Spicy Scallops
The sauce is quite simple to make but the flavors are exquisite. Big words lol but it is true! The spicy yuzu sauce make it creamy, slightly sweet, spicy and has the most floral kick of acid coming from the yuzu. If you aren’t a huge fan of spice, you can try my Scallops Meuniere or my Scallops & Saffron Beurre Blanc.
How To Prepare Spicy Scallops
💛 Cut the foot off the scallops and season.
⏱ Preheat a pan for 2 minutes on high. Add some olive oil.
🔥 Sear the scallops, giving them a little shake. Let them sit unbothered for 3-5 minutes depending on size. Flip and sear another 30-60 seconds. Remove from the pan.
🌶 Add in scallions, Fresno chili, garlic and ginger. Sauté on medium for 2-3 minutes with the sesame oil.
🥥 Add in coconut milk and Gochujang. Scrape the pan for the scallop drippings. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add in fish sauce, Yuzu and Tamari and reduce until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
🧈 Turn off the heat, add in butter and emulsify.
🌟 Lastly, serve with the cilantro, green part of scallions, a lime and sliced Fresno Chile on top.
Substitutions and Variations
- It goes without saying that I love this dish with scallops, but the sauce it SO freaking good, it goes with shrimp, chicken or even beef!
- You can use heavy cream instead of coconut milk.
- You can use sriracha or Sambal Oelek instead of Gochujang.
- If you can’t find Yuzu, you can use lemon juice.
Chef’s Tip
I like to take a blow dryer or a fan on COOL and dry surface on both sides to draw out moisture and get a nice hard sear. You can leave it uncovered in the fridge for a couple hours.
Chef’s Tip
- When buying scallops try to get ‘dry’ vs ‘wet’ because they will sear & taste better but also you won’t be getting scallops that have been injected with water.
- Give them a lil shake when searing (always on a preheated pan) so they don’t stick but then let them be to develop a hard sear. I always sear 4-5 min on one side and 30-60 sec on the other depending on size.
Similar Recipes
Common Questions
I use Gochujang paste by Mother In Law’s.
Yes of course! You can do shrimp, chicken or beef.
You can use heavy cream.
You can use sriracha or Sambal Oelek.
Spicy Scallops
Ingredients
- 10 Scallops, Make sure they are U-10
- 2 scallions, chopped but separate the greens for topping
- 1 tsp garlic, fresh and grated
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 fresno chile, sliced and more for topping
- 3/4 cup coconut milk, light is fine
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp tamari, or soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1-2 tbsp gochujang paste
- 3/4 tbsp yuzu, or lemon juice
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Black pepper, to taste
- cilantro, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the foot off the scallops and season.
- Preheat a pan for 2 minutes on high. Add some olive oil.
- Sear the scallops, giving them a little shake. Let them sit unbothered for 3-5 minutes depending on size. Flip and sear another 30-60 seconds. Remove from the pan.
- Add in scallions, Fresno Chile, garlic and ginger. Sauté on medium for 2-3 minutes with the sesame oil.
- Add in coconut milk and Gochujang. Scrape the pan for the scallop drippings. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add in fish sauce, Yuzu and Tamari and reduce until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, add in butter and emulsify.
- Lastly, serve with the cilantro, green part of scallions, a lime and a slice of Fresno Chile on top, and that is it!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
