Lemony Scallop & Asparagus Salad
An elegant starter for spring celebrations.
by Erin Henderson
We've all had that conversation with someone where we ask them if they like, let's say, pancakes. And they respond, "yes, but only good pancakes." Oh really? Because we only like the terrible ones. Weird you don't.
Well, anyway, I have that relationship with scallops.
I love scallops. But only if they're good. Unfortunately, more often than not, they're kinda... bad.
I think the culprit is that scallops naturally contain a lot of moisture, and cheap scallops, as cheap as scallops can get, anyway, are treated with a food-grade sodium chemical to plump them up with water and make them look really juicy to the consumer. (This happens with chicken breasts too, FYI.)
While, as stated, this is completely safe to eat, the downside is, the more moisture in the scallop, the less likely it is to cook properly.
What we want when cooking scallops is a dark brown, nutty crust, and a tender, buttery inside. Not a rubbery, limp and pallid scallop. Obviously.
You may also like: Scallop Crudo
Scallops are definitely a luxury. I've found an excellent fish monger here in Toronto; great quality and probably the best prices you can find. And even there, I just bought a pound for $33. About $2 per scallop. Wowza.
So it goes without saying the recipe below is a bit of a splurge, so you definitely want to maximize your investment.
Here are my best tips on doing that:
- Shop from a reputable fish monger. Sorry, folks, the grocery store just doesn't cut it. You need qualified professionals who take pride in their work, high turnover of product, and premium grade.
- Even if you buy frozen (and why not? Almost all seafood is flash frozen on the boat before coming into shore) you should be able to see the quality.
- I learned this trick from Kenji: to draw out as much moisture as you can, dry your raw scallops with a clean kitchen towel and salt them. Then salt your scallops, lay them on a paper-towel lined plate, and place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. Blot the excess moisture, salt them again, and then cook.
- To cook, you must have a searing hot pan, like, the oil is starting to smoke hot. I think cast iron is ideal, but you can use stainless steel if that's all you have. If you start your scallops in a just hot, or worse – warm – pan, they might sizzle initially, but then quiet down, leaking out all their fluid and ultimately just steam in their own juices resulting in a rubbery scallop. Gross.
- Look, if you're in for a penny might as well be in for a pound. Get the good scallops, cook them properly and enjoy.
Lemony Scallop and Asparagus Salad
This is a pretty good option for a luxe dinner party or al fresco lunch.
The vegetables can be prepared in advance and served room temperature, and the scallops literally take two minutes to cook, so that can be done in a flash right before serving.
Makes: up to you. I suggest 2-3 scallops and 4-5 asparagus spears per person as a starter course.
Chef level: easy+
Ingredients:
- 1lb sea scallops
- 1 large leek, white part only, well cleaned and sliced in half lengthwise
- 1-2 bunches asparagus, tough ends snapped and peeled
- 1 cup sweet peas (frozen or fresh)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- Lemon zest and juice (zest for the salad, juice for the dressing)
- Lemon Shallot dressing (recipe below)
How to Make It:
- Blot the scallops of any excess moisture, salt, and place on a paper towel-lined plate in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
- Blanch the asparagus: bring a pot of salted water to a boil. While waiting fill a bowl with ice and cold water. Drop the asparagus into the boiling water for a minute. Scoop the asparagus from the boiling water and plunge into the ice bath.
- Blanch the peas: with the asparagus water still boiling, drop in the peas for about 30 seconds. Scoop from the water and add to the ice bath with the asparagus. After a few minutes, drain the water and lay the vegetables on clean kitchen towel to dry.
- Meanwhile, bring a cast iron pan to medium heat.
- Toss the leek halves with extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Place cut side down on the cast iron, until lightly charred. Flip and cook for another minute or so, just long enough to soften slightly.
- Peel the outer layer from the leek (it will have turned deep brown and tough to chew) and cut into half-inch slices.
- Toss the blanched asparagus in extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper, and place on the hot pan. Once lightly charred in spots, about 2-3 minutes, flip over and cook on the other side until lightly charred, another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and slice into 2-inch pieces, reserving asparagus tips.
- Increase the heat to high and add the vegetable oil to coat the pan.
- Take the scallops from the fridge, blot excess moisture, season lightly with more salt and pepper.
- When the oil is shimmering and nearly smoking, carefully add the scallops to the pan, leaving about an inch between each so they properly sear and not steam. After about 2 minutes, they should have a nice golden crust. Gently flip and sear for another minute or two.
- Toss the leeks, asparagus, peas, and lemon zest in the lemon-shallot dressing, and pile on the centre of a serving platter.
- Top with the best-looking side of the scallops. Sprinkle with additional lemon zest and serve.
Lemon-Shallot Dressing
Makes: about 1 cup
Chef level: easy
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp shallot, minced
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 Tbsp salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
How to Make It:
- Add shallot, salt, honey into a jar and top with lemon juice. Set aside until the salt dissolves. (Make your salad while you wait.)
- Drop in the Dijon mustard and pepper and pour in the evoo. Close the jar and shake for a good 30 seconds to evenly combine.
- The dressing will last at room temperature up to five days.
Wine Pairing
You may have heard horror stories about pairing wine with asparagus, but I promise you there is nothing to fear. If you were just noshing on a raw spear, that may be reason to pause, but here the asparagus is flavoured by the char of cooking, the bright dressing, and paired with other vegetables, so there's loads to work with.
This salad is such an elegant starter I'm inclined to pair it with a brut traditional method sparkling. The lemony flavours in the dressing and the wine mirror each other, while the tart bubbly brightens the rich scallops.
If bubbly isn't your thing, then go for a wine with notes of citrus and herbs to offset the flavours of the salad, and with a medium to high acidity to match with the snappy vinaigrette. Sauvignon Blanc is a classic match, but you could pair Muscadet, Grüner Veltliner, Verdejo, or Vermentino with equal success.