Caramelized Scallops
We continue sharing our favorite New Year’s Eve Scallop dinner recipes. Caramelized Scallops is a winner! The caramelized sauce is simple to make and the best part is you can make it earlier in the day. Our New Year Eve’s dinner seem fairly effortless! We made a side of Jasmine Rice in our rice cooker to accompany the scallops. The sauce has some heat depending upon how much red pepper flakes and scallions you add. We hope you enjoy this simple but yet gourmet meal to ring in the new year!!
Preparing the Caramelized Scallops
My preference is to use fresh scallops over the frozen variety. Unfortunately the frozen scallops dramatically reduce in size when cooking them. Given the cost of scallops, we only purchase fresh. We start with trimming the side muscle from the scallops. Then gently rinse and dry each scallop. Do not skip the step of properly drying them since excess liquid can cause them to steam. Have all your ingredients ready since once you start to cook the Caramelized Scallops the process moves quickly. This includes your side dishes. Have them heated and ready to go! Unless you are great at quickly multi-tasking across dishes!
Making the Caramelized Sauce
The caramelized sauce can be made earlier in the day to save time when ready to prepare this dish. In a small measuring cup add ¼ cup of the water and the Asian fish sauce. Take out a heavy saucepan adding sugar and remaining ¼ cup of the water. Stir to combine. Heat the sauce over medium heat until the sugar liquefies. When the sugar liquefies you do not need to stir it any more. Once the sugar starts to caramelize boil for about 8- to 12-minutes to darken the color. But be careful to not burn the mixture. I would keep an eye on it and not multi-task by doing other activities. Sugar can burn quickly!
When desire color is reached, remove the saucepan from the stovetop. Slowly add the water and fish sauce mixture to the caramelized sugar and stir. Remember the pan is hot so add it slowly to cool down the sugar mixture. The sugar mixture may harden. Place saucepan back onto stovetop, and let the mixture boil for a few more minutes until it is smooth. At this point you can store the mixture in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare the meal. We add the shallots, red pepper flakes, and scallions when ready to serve the Caramelized Scallops.
Preparing the Caramelized Scallops
Remove the caramelized sauce out of the refrigerator adding to a braising pan to reheat. Take a taste test. Mine was a little too salty so I added 2 tablespoons of water and it turned out great. Now add the shallots, red pepper flakes, and scallions and warm through. Place the scallops into the braising pan. Cook on each side until they reach 130°F internal temperature and the flesh is milky white, or opaque and firm. Immediately plate the Caramelized Scallops and enjoy!!
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Caramelized Scallops
Pin RecipeIngredients
Scallops Ingredients
- 12 Scallops
Caramelized Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup Asian fish sauce
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ shallot minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 scallions diced
Serving Suggestions
- Cooked Jasmine Rice
- Topped with scallions and red pepper flakes
Instructions
Sauce Preparation
- The sauce can be made earlier in the day to save time when ready to prepare this dish.
- In a small measuring cup add ¼ cup of the water and the Asian fish sauce.
- In a heavy saucepan add the sugar and the remaining ¼ cup of the water. Stir to combine.
- Heat the sauce over medium heat until the sugar liquefies. When the sugar liquefies you do not need to stir it any more.
- Once the sugar starts to caramelize boil for about 8- to 12-minutes to darken the color – but be careful to not burn the mixture.
- Remove the saucepan from the stovetop. Slowly add the water and fish sauce mixture to the caramelized sugar and stir. Remember the pan is hot so add it slowly to cool down the sugar mixture.
- The sugar mixture may harden. Place saucepan back onto stovetop, and let the mixture boil for a few more minutes until it is smooth. At this point you can store the mixture in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare the meal.
- Add the shallots, red pepper flakes, and scallions when ready to serve.
Scallops Preparation
- Trim the side muscle from the scallops.
- Gently rinse and dry each Scallop.
- Add the caramelized sauce to your braising pan and reheat.
- Take a taste test. Mine was a little more salty than I liked so I added 2 tablespoons of water and it turned out great.
- Add shallots, red pepper flakes, and scallions and warm through.
- Add the scallops and cook on each scallop side until they reach 130°F internal temperature and the flesh is milky white, or opaque and firm.
- I like to serve my scallops over Jasmine Rice.
- Plate and enjoy immediately.
You had me at caramelized.
It was delicious! 💕
I can only imagine (and drool). 😋
🍽🍽🍽🍽
What would you use as a substitute for fish sauce? We have tried it and neither one of us like it. I love scallops and this recipe looks amazing.
Thank you. There is not much fish sauce so I might go with a white wine or chicken broth. You could also do soy sauce plus rice vinegar. Hope that helps!
I like the soy sauce and rice vinegar! Thank you Bernice!
The nice part is you can make the dressing earlier to do your taste tests. And if you do not like it change to another dressing.