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What Are the Best Tips for Making Scallop Stir Fry?

Janis Adams
Janis Adams

Regardless of what sauce you might choose or what vegetables you might add, the key ingredient in making a scallop stir fry is the scallops. Scallops, due to their bland flavor, can be combined with nearly any flavorings. The most important part of making this seafood dish is choosing fresh scallops and cooking them well. Along with this, scallops should always be cooked separately from vegetables and any sauce used in the stir fry. Following these key steps will help produce a pleasing scallop stir fry.

Choosing scallops that do not smell fishy is important. A strong fishy odor suggests that the scallops are not fresh. If the scallops which have been purchased for the stir fry are frozen, defrost them slowly. To quicken the defrosting process, it is best to run the scallops under cold water but never hot. Whether fresh or frozen before cooking, rinse the scallops and then pat them dry very gently with a paper towel, ensuring no water is left on them.

Scallops in their shells.
Scallops in their shells.

The most important thing, when making a scallop stir fry is knowing when the scallops are fully cooked. A raw scallop can entirely ruin an otherwise delicious meal. Scallops are cooked when they loose their translucent hue and become an opaque white in color.

When making a scallop stir fry, the frying pan or wok the scallops are being cooked in should never be covered. If covered, the scallops will boil. When scallops are boiled they become tough and develop a rubber-like consistency. This is very unappetizing.

A frying pan, which can be used to make scallop stir-fry.
A frying pan, which can be used to make scallop stir-fry.

It is important to remember that, when making a scallop stir fry, if the scallops are marinated prior to cooking them they must be removed from the marinade before they are cooked. If they are not seared and are instead cooked in the marinade they will become tough and quite unappealing just as if they were boiled. The marinade can be reserved and spooned over the scallops and other ingredients after the scallops have been cooked.

Ensure that the scallops are fresh and don't smell fishy.
Ensure that the scallops are fresh and don't smell fishy.

A scallop stir fry may contain any number of ingredients. The key to making this dish well, regardless of the combination of the ingredients, is having everything properly cooked. The best way to ensure that all of the ingredients are cooked to their full advantage is to cook the scallops separately from all the other ingredients.

First cook the vegetables and any other ingredients to be used in the scallop stir fry. Remove these ingredients from the frying pan or wok and then sear the scallops. Pan searing scallops in a small amount of olive oil, or butter for some added flavor, has become the popular choice when making this type of stir fry. This will only take a few moments. Once the scallops are fully cooked, combine them with the other ingredients.

Discussion Comments

Talentryto

@ocelto60- I like to use either oil and vinegar or Italian salad dressing to marinade scallops in before stir frying them. These flavors go very nicely with vegetables, and add a nice tangy flavor to this dish.

Just make sure that you dab off any excess dressing with a paper towel before making your stir fry. If you don't, it might turn out too juicy.

Rundocuri

@ocelot60- A good marinade for scallops is a light ginger sauce. You can find several varieties in the ethnic food section of your favorite grocery store, or you can make your own with soy sauce and ginger.

When you take your scallops out of the marinade and place them in the pan, the ginger sauce also doubles as a great stir fry sauce.

Ocelot60

I'm looking for some suggestions for a good marinade to use for scallops before searing them. I love scallop stir fry, but when I make this dish, it seems like my scallops never have enough flavor.

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    • Scallops in their shells.
      By: Picture Partners
      Scallops in their shells.
    • A frying pan, which can be used to make scallop stir-fry.
      By: Lusoimages
      A frying pan, which can be used to make scallop stir-fry.
    • Ensure that the scallops are fresh and don't smell fishy.
      By: fkruger
      Ensure that the scallops are fresh and don't smell fishy.
    • Peanut oil has a high smoking point and mild taste ideal for a scallop stir-fry.
      By: WimL
      Peanut oil has a high smoking point and mild taste ideal for a scallop stir-fry.