Scallop Chop Suey
Scallop Chop Suey is a Filipino-style vegetable stir fry built around seared sea scallops and hard-boiled quail eggs.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 245kcal
Cost: $$
Equipment
- 1 Wok or wide pan A wide surface keeps the vegetables in a single layer so they sear instead of steam.
- 1 Small bowl For diluting the cornstarch in water before it goes into the pan.
- 1 Paper towels For patting the scallops dry so they brown on contact.
Ingredients
- 1 lbs sea scallops
- 1 piece medium carrot sliced crosswise
- 1/2 lbs snow peas
- 1/2 head cabbage chopped
- 1 piece red bell pepper sliced into wide strips
- 2 cups cauliflower chopped
- 12 pieces quail eggs hard-boiled
- 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch diluted in 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 piece medium onion sliced
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the cooking oil in a pan.2 tablespoons cooking oil
- Sauté the garlic and onion until the onion starts to soften.2 teaspoons garlic, 1 piece medium onion
- Add the scallops. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove the scallops from the pan and set them aside.1 lbs sea scallops
- Add the carrot and cauliflower. Cook for 3 minutes.1 piece medium carrot, 2 cups cauliflower
- Add the snow peas, cabbage, and bell pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes.1/2 lbs snow peas, 1/2 head cabbage, 1 piece red bell pepper
- Pour in the broth and let it boil.1/4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- Add the hard-boiled quail eggs.12 pieces quail eggs
- Pour in the cornstarch mixture. Stir until the sauce starts to thicken.1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Add the scallops back to the pan. Gently toss everything together and cook for about 30 seconds.1 lbs sea scallops
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving plate.Salt and pepper
- Serve warm. Share and enjoy!
Notes
Dry the scallops first – Pat the sea scallops with paper towels before they hit the oil. A dry surface browns in the 1 1/2 to 2 minutes each side that this recipe calls for.
Buy dry-packed scallops – Dry-packed sea scallops are sold without a phosphate soak, so they hold their shape and stay sweet. Wet-packed ones release liquid into the pan and thin out the sauce.
Cook in two batches if your pan is small – Give the scallops room so each one sits flat on the metal. Crowding them drops the pan temperature and they poach instead of sear.
Peeling quail eggs – Roll the boiled quail eggs gently under your palm to crack the shell all over, then peel starting from the wide end. Canned peeled quail eggs work here too; drain and rinse them before adding.
Storage – Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pan over medium heat and add the scallops back in the last 30 seconds so they stay tender.
Scaling – Doubling the recipe works best in two separate batches. One large batch releases enough vegetable liquid to loosen the sauce, so mix a second tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and add it once the broth boils.
Nutrition
Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 554mg | Potassium: 853mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 4227IU | Vitamin C: 141mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3mg