Asian-Style Seared Scallops

The more I cook, the more I learn to trust my instincts, and for the most part it works in my favor. There are always some disasters (remind me to tell you about last week's caramel apple cake fail), but I'm glad to report that this one was a success! Usually I'm reluctant to cook without a recipe to at least guide me, but I went out on a limb and threw this together completely sans recipe for dinner the other night. Searing the scallops was a little nerve-wracking since it requires such high heat and for you to leave the scallops alone to sear for a few minutes, which is quite difficult to obey. My instinct tells me to constantly make sure they aren't sticking by moving them around a bit, but this is counter-productive, since letting the scallops sit untouched will create a lovely brown crust that allows them to be scooped off the pan with barely a fight. I am learning! For the incredibly simple recipe, see below.

Seared Scallops over Asian Salad

dinner for two

1/2 lb sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry

freshly ground pepper

smoked paprika

oil with a high smoke point (I used canola but grapeseed or avocado would be even better)

1/4 cup store-bought ginger dressing (or make your own... maybe I'll try that one day but this time I used Makoto)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts separated

1/2-1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 1/2" pieces

5 oz greens (I used a baby green mix as per the yooj)

Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to lightly coat the pan and wait until it shimmers but doesn't smoke. Season the scallops with the pepper and paprika and add to the hot pan. Don't touch for a minute!! Let it develop a nice golden crust, at which point it should no longer stick to the pan and you can flip to the other side. Total cook time shouldn't be more than 4-5 minutes tops, depending on the thickness of your scallops. Remove from pan and set aside in a covered dish to keep warm.

Turn the heat down to medium, then add the garlic and scallion whites. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds, then add the ginger dressing. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Add the asparagus; simmer and let reduce for a couple minutes. Add the red bell pepper and cook for another minute. Add the greens, stir to combine and heat through but not totally wilt, then remove from heat.

Divide the greens and veggies into two salad bowls, then top with the scallops and serve!