These savoury and oh so tender Japanese scallops goes perfect with the crunchy natural sweetness of asparagus, which help to balance out the dish. It may be costly though, so reserve this dish for a special occasion!
PREPARATIONS FOR SEARED JAPANESE SCALLOPS WITH ASPARAGUS (15 MIN)
Cut off the tough stem from the asparagus (about 4 cm from the stem). Wash and cut the asparagus diagonally about 2 cm lengthwise leaving the tips whole.
Remove skin from the garlic and chop finely.
Next, remove the skin from the ginger and slice thinly.
Mix 3 TBsp of water with 1/2 tsp of cornflour and set aside.
Thaw the frozen scallops completely and wash them. You should remove any tough ligaments from the side of the scallops if any, then wash and drain.
COOKING METHOD FOR SEARED JAPANESE SCALLOPS WITH ASPARAGUS (20 MIN)
In a pot of boiling water, blanch the scallops for about 3 minutes to get rid of the excess water from the thawed scallops.
Transfer the scallops onto a plate and pat dry with a piece of kitchen towel.
Season the scallops with a little salt and pepper.
In a non stick pan, heat up the 1 TBsp of oil until shimmering. Working in batches, sear the scallops over moderate high heat until golden, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer the seared scallops onto a warmed plate.
Wipe the pan with a piece of kitchen towel, then in the same pan, heat up 1 TBsp of oil. Add in the sliced ginger and fry till aromatic. Then add in the chopped garlic and fry for a min.
Next, add in the asparagus and stir fry for about 1 minute. Add in a pinch of salt and 2TBsp of Hua Tiao Jiu, then continue to fry for another minute. Lastly add in the cornflour mixture and mix well.
Use the spatula to push the asparagus to the side of the pan, then add in the seared scallops, coating them well with the gravy.
Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot
Notes
Don't be deceived by the size of the frozen scallop. Once thawed, they shrink quite a big. Scallops absorb lots of water and get plumped up once frozen.
Even after thawing, the scallops still retain some of the water. Therefore it is necessary to blanch them before searing otherwise your pan will be flooded with water. After blanching, make sure to pat dry the scallop to remove as much water as possible before cooking. Searing the scallop for about 2-3 minutes on each side over medium high heat should give the scallop a beautiful sear, and a soft and tender interior.
Cook the scallops in small batches. Overcrowding the pan with scallops create lots of steam, so the scallops will get steamed rather than seared, which is the effect we want.
Often scallops are soaked in water with preservative and salt to prevent them from turning bad. So taste the scallops first before adding salt to it otherwise the dish will be too salty.
Do not buy the Thai Asparagus for this dish. Get the Mexican Asparagus for they are thicker, crunchier and have more substance.
You will need to cut off about 4cm of the stem from the bottom as the stem ends are usually very fibrous.
Optional: You may also want to cut off the outer part of the asparagus stems if they are slightly fibrous, but its not a must if the asparagus is tender enough.
Do not overcook the asparagus. It should be crunchy, not soft.