Sous Vide Wasabi Crusted Scallops cooked to perfection in a homemade fresh wasabi butter and finished in a crunchy coating with a kick.
This post for Sous Vide Wasabi Crusted Scallops was created in partnership with Clearwater Seafoods LP.
East Coast Lobster Rolls and Ice Cream
The Dude and I took a trip to the East coast this summer in an effort to step back from international travel and explore this vast country, for a change. We flew to Halifax and spent ten days exploring Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island (sorry Newfoundland and Labrador, we'll catch you next time).
We walked the ocean floor at low tide, rode the tidal bore at high tide, erected miniature monuments at Peggy's Cove, conquered the Cabot Trail, swam all the white and red sand beaches, gorged on Cow's ice cream and the best lobster rolls to date.
Good times were had, but the Dude would tell you that I agreed to this location only because I could buy live lobsters at the airport. Can you blame me?
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Get Those *#$* Lobsters on the *#$*Plane!
As soon as the Clearwater Seafoods airport store opened, the clerk scooped up five live ones, a bag of scallops and boxed them up in what became the Dude's second carry-on. The box fit perfectly under the seat in front of me and our crustacean friends made the trip home alive and clawing.
Once I got over the trauma of stabbing heads and tearing limbs, some deliciousness (this, this and this to name a few) were made and thoroughly enjoyed. I shared most of our lobster adventures on my Instagram stories, which caught the attention of the folks at Clearwater, which brings us to this Sous Vide Wasabi Crusted Scallops dish! The first in a number of meals I'll be creating with their products.
In a recent post, I reminisced about fresh-off-the-boat seafood as a staple in my childhood diet. The scallops used in this dish, although not purchased off the boats at the bay, were wild-caught in the Canadian North Atlantic and frozen-at-sea.
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Sustainable and Sexy
Freezing pre-rigor allows the scallops to hold their own moisture, without taking on external/additional moisture. This translates to a product that offers greater freshness, longer shelf life and is 100% natural with no chemical or additive. A plump, juicy scallop is a sexy scallop, and because these are 'dry' processed scallops, they shrink less when cooked and sear beautifully. Also, Clearwater's seafood originate from sustainable, well-managed fishery as set by environmental standards.
Sea, Bay or Calico Scallops?
Calico scallops, found in warmer waters, are the smaller and cheapest variety. They need to be steamed to open their shells before using. They are a less sweet variety, best suited for use in stews and chowders.
Bay scallops are similar in size to calico and smaller than sea scallops. Some find them to be the sweeter of the varieties. They are not ideal for searing, due to their size, but work well in a pasta dish or stir-fry.
Sea scallops, which I've used here, are the largest of the three varieties and are available year-round. When packed 'dry', like these Clearwater scallops, they are perfect for dry-heat preparation like searing.
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Dry Versus Soaked Scallops
Scallops are processed in two ways - soaked and dry. The soaking process is done with water and sodium tripolyphosphate, which causes the scallops to absorb water, leaving a subtle chemical taste. On the other hand dry scallops are not treated, leaving them with a fresh sea taste and smell. They are also perfect candidates for searing, as they don't produce as much liquids during the cooking process.
Why Sous Vide?
Scallops are a lean protein, which, when cooked incorrectly, can quickly go from succulent to tough and rubbery. Sous Vide's low, steady cooking temperature ensures evenly cooked scallops. It helps to firm them up and retain their moisture when seared, resulting in a most succulent scallop experience. It also allowed me to infuse the scallops with the wasabi butter flavour, while adding some fat to prevent them from drying out. The result was simply spectacular!
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Pulling It Together
Of course, if you don't cook sous vide, you can simply marinate the scallops in the wasabi butter for a couple hours in the refrigerator. I used fresh wasabi that I purchased at the Japanese market and grated myself. If you don't have access to the fresh stuff, choose a good quality paste. You'll also need wasabi powder for the coating. The wasabi adds an earthy, deep flavour and a distinctive heat that is not overpowering.
The scallops can then be seared as-is, or as I've done here, with a light coating of wasabi-seasoned panko crumbs, served atop a bed of baby asparagus with a side of home-made wasabi mayonnaise. I was so very pleased with this meal I've created and loved watching my guests enjoy every bite. I hope that you will give it a try!
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Ingredients
For the wasabi butter:
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated wasabi or purchased wasabi paste
- ¼ cup butter
For the wasabi mayonnaise:
- ¼ cup home-made mayonnaise or store-bought
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated wasabi or purchased wasabi paste
For the panko coating:
- 1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1-2 teaspoon(s) each of wasabi powder, sesame seeds, coarsely crushed pink and black peppercorn, sea salt less or more to taste
- 1 egg white
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For the scallops:
- 18 Clearwater Sea Scallops this provided 3 per person
- wasabi butter from above
Sides:
- 2 bunches baby asparagus
- 1 shallot chopped
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- microgreens, lemon wedges, wasabi powder
Instructions
Make the wasabi butter:
- Bring the butter to room temperature so that it is soft enough to blend. Add the butter and wasabi paste to a blender cup or small measuring cup and process with with an immersion blender. Set aside.
Make the wasabi mayo:
- Use a fork, or hand whisk to mix the mayonnaise and wasabi paste until uniformly combined. Store in the refrigerator.
Make the coating:
- Whisk the breadcrumbs, wasabi powder, peppercorn and sea salt in a shallow dish. Place the egg white and cornstarch in separate bowls and set aside.
Make the scallops:
- Heat the water bath to 52ºC/126ºF.
- While the water is heating, coat the scallops with the wasabi butter and place 4-6 among 3-4 bags, so that they are not touching. Vacuum seal the bags on delicate setting (if you have it on your vacuum sealer), or stop your machine by pressing the seal button as soon as the bag deflates, without flattening the scallops. If you don't own a vacuum sealer, you can use food and heat safe BPA-free freezer bags and the water immersion method.
- Submerge in the heated water and cook for 20 minutes. After cooking, immediately place bags in an ice bath for 15 minutes.
- Remove scallops from bag with tongs and place on a sheet of paper towel to soak up excess liquids. Dip, the scallops in the cornstarch and dust off excess before dipping in egg white. Then toss in the panko breadcrumb mixture to coat lightly.
- Add a neutral oil, like grape seed, to a skillet and heat to smoking. Place the scallops, flat side down and spaced, in the pan and sear for 1 minute. Flip and repeat. Remove immediately from the pan.
Plate and enjoy:
- Sautee a bunch of baby asparagus, shallots and crushed garlic in the same pan. Line the centre of the plates with the sauteed asparagus, top with scallops, microgreens and a light dusting of wasabi powder. Pipe a few dollops of wasabi mayo on the plate, add a lemon wedge and serve!
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