Firecracker Curried Stonington Sea Scallops

At last weekend's farmers market, there were beautiful heirloom tomatoes and produce abound. Yet it was the seafood from Gulf Shrimp Co. from Plantsville, that yet again, captured my eye and stomach. This is the same vendor from whom we, THS YLPs, snatched up our oysters when we decided to take an afternoon, YouTube oyster shucking lesson.

Last weekend, the large, locally caught Stonington sea scallops called to me. The fresh scallops were tender, meaty, and succulent. I wanted to prepare them in a simple way with a twist that would not overpower the star.

Since law school, this little YLP has prepared fish at least twice a week because it is healthy, tasty, and fast cooking. In law school, I wanted to branch out from my scaly protein rut and explore other salt water delights. My Whole Foods seafood guy recommended sea scallops because they would be easy for a fish fanatic like myself. Be it my studio size stove or my question as to what constituted "not opaque," my first scallops were overcooked and unsalvageable. At $21-23 per pound, it was an expensive mistake to make on a law school budget.

It took me another two years and a mouthwatering, seared scallop dish at some restaurant that gave me the courage to try again. I have had more success that that first attempt, especially when I keep the recipe simple. Serve these simple, spicy Stonington sea scallops for any summer supper!

Firecracker Curried Stonington Sea Scallops

(Adapted from Thyme for Wine)

Serves Two

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb. Stonington sea scallops
• 1 Tbsp. curry
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
• Lemon wedges for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until hot. Add the ginger and garlic; stir to coat with oil. Avoid burning the garlic and ginger.

Add the scallops in a single layer and cook until the scallops are nicely browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the curry and cayenne pepper. Quickly stir-fry together, and turn the scallops over to brown the other side.

Transfer to a plate, and top with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges to balance the heat from the curry and cayenne pepper. Enjoy!

TIPS: 

• Scallops are at their best and most tender with short cooking at very high heat; make sure to have the scallops as dry as possible and your pan so hot that the oil is shimmering - but not smoking - before you add the scallops. 
• Wrap partially used, fresh ginger in saran and place in a plastic bag in your freezer. When a recipe calls for fresh ginger, use a microplane on the frozen ginger to get the proper amount.