I find that scallops are one of those ingredients that are naturally intimidating for most people to contemplate cooking at home in general. It’s perhaps something that you might order at a restaurant when feeling adventurous but rarely lands on a plate at home, unlike home-cooked prawns and calamari (squid).
I’d like to assure you though that scallops are an absolutely tantalising treat even when cooked at home and, like most seafood, they cook in a few minutes. The most important thing to guard against is making sure that they aren’t overcooked – they’ll end up tough and rubbery.
A few things to keep in mind so you serve up scrumptious scallops:
Purchase them from a reputable supplier. High quality seafood is both safer and tastier.
Fully thaw and pat dry them before marinating and cooking.
It helps to lightly season the scallops and add a drizzle of lemon over them before marinating.
After marinating, remove the scallops from the fridge and allow them to rest at room temperature for at least 5 minutes for best results. Only then should you proceed to heat them so they don’t shrink and toughen up.
Remove them from the stove before they are fully cooked – the residual heat from the pan will do the rest. This is one of the surest ways to prevent potential overcooking.
If you don’t like avocado, use broccoli as a substitute. Add a dollop of cream cheese to the mixture to infuse it with a dreamy creaminess.