Seared Coriander Scallops with Bok Choy and Hoisin

One of the things I love about Market is recipe swapping!  This one came from a great customer & friend of ours.  Thanks, Diane.  We asked where to get fresh scallops & she suggested here:



So, Freddie & I took the Mayport ferry over & found this market.  We picked up these fresh scallops for our supper.  (A good tip for the Seafood Market: Ask what was brought in that day.)

This recipe created a beautiful, delicious dish!  Next time I make this, I would double the bok choy. 

Seared Coriander Scallops with Bok Choy & Hoisin

2 servings

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 tbsp hoisin sauce **

2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger

10 large sea scallops

1 tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely crushed

2 tsp oriental sesame oil

2 baby bok choy, each cut lengthwise into eighths

2 tbsp water

Whisk orange juice, hoisin sauce, and ginger in small bowl.  Pat scallops dry on paper towels.  Sprinkle coriander seeds over top of scallops, pressing to adhere.

Heat sesame oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat.  Add scallops, coriander side down, and cook just until opaque in center, turning once, about 1-1/2 minutes per side.  Transfer scallops to plate.  Add bok choy & 2 tbsp of water to skillet; saute until wilted, about 2 minutes.  Using tongs, divide bok choy between 2 plates, then top with scallops.  Add hoisin mixture to same skillet; boil until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 2 minutes.  Drizzle sauce over scallops & bok choy.

** I substituted a homemade hoisin sauce, as follows:

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 Tbsp peanut butter

1/2 Tbsp honey

1 tsp white vinegar

1/16 tsp (think that would be a quick dash!) garlic powder

1/16 tsp onion powder

10 drops chinese hot sauce (skipped since we are wimps)

1/16 tsp black pepper

Since we really enjoyed the recipe, I'll buy hoisin sauce next time.  I believe this recipe originated from www.epicurious.com

**Starring: Thai Basil**

Photo: http://www.thekitchn.com/spicy-robust-heavenly-thai-basil-ingredient-spotlight-174618

Introducing...Thai Basil.  Though this herb shares it name with the common Sweet Basil, it possesses a flavor & fragrance all its own.  When customers linger by our herbs at the stand, I will often ask them to rub a leaf & sniff.  The reaction is always the same -- Mmmm!  Thai basil smells very much like licrorice & is most often associated with Asian cooking.  Like other varieties of basil, it is not an herb that should be cooked, but rather tossed in at the end of cooking. 

Recently, we made stirfry (for the recipe see:  http://greatlettuce.blogspot.com/2011/12/starring-bok-choy.html ).  We made some slight changes that enhanced the flavors tremendously.  Instead of olive oil, we used sesame oil.  We used baby bok choy, separating the leaves & stems.  The leaves were tossed in later as we were putting the sauce in the wok.  Before serving, we mixed in about 2 tsp of freshly chopped Thai Basil.  The combination of flavors was perfect.

***New @ Market***

Baby Bok Choy

*** Starring: Bok Choy ***

Bok Choy is a wonderful addition to any stir fry. We love it because the stalks keep their crunch. Here is our favorite way to stir fry.

After rinsing the bok choy, we chop up the stems and leaves. We cut up any other vegetables we have in the refrigerator (carrots, cabbage, celery, peppers, onions, etc), totaling 6-8 cups of veggies. The key secret in our stir fry is pouring boiling hot water over the vegetables and letting them soak for 4 minutes or so. We drain them immediately in a colander and run cold water over the veggies to stop the cooking process. This gives them a head start and makes tender-crisp stir fry.

In a wok, we heat up some olive oil. We toss in minced/chopped garlic and grate gingerroot, if we have it. We stir fry chicken/beef chunks until done. (Usually, we use about four chicken breasts.) Next, we throw in the veggies and about 1/2 t. of salt. Basically, we simply heat up the veggies. They won't need too much more cooking.

Finally, we mix 1/2 c water, 2 T soy sauce & 1 T cornstarch in a separate bowl. Once the mixture dissolves, we pour it into the wok with everything else. We cook until the liquid thickens to the desired consistency.
Then, we pair it with rice and dig in!