Summer is here! It’s 29 degrees Celsius outside as I type this and I am just thrilled!
Of course, witnessing the sun and warmth through a glass window while sitting in my office at work is not your prefect definition to “enjoying summer” but I’ll take it! (Since really, there is no other option). So yeah! It’s here and with it the desire to eat light.
When you think of eating light what comes to mind? For me it’s salads! And when I say salads I don’t mean the mayo based ones or just garden salads, I mean salads with an added bonus ingredient like pasta or fish or chicken perhaps.
So I was thinking of salads the other day and then I thought to myself “what can I add as an added bonus ingredient?” but wait, I live in Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax, one of the best spots to get fresh sea food. Hey, why not enjoy the local goods and the fact that I can get fresh seafood right here, right now? So I did! I went and made myself (and the family – hunger didn’t make me forget about them yet) a green yummy salad with garlic mustard dressing and (drum roll) fresh seared mini sea scallops!
My son was thrilled, we all ate healthy and I was excited because guess what? This dish fits in perfectly with this month’s theme for the “Canadian Food Experience Project” which is “A Regional Canadian Food” and what’s classier for the Nova Scotia region than sea food.
As for the recipe itself, this one is super easy, very fast and will go perfectly as an added bonus ingredient on top of your green salad (garden or tossed). Enjoy!
- 300gr Fresh Mini Sea Scallops (Thawed Scallops can also be used)
- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 tbsp Dry Basil
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt and Black Pepper – Pinch of each
- Rinse the mini scallops and pat them dry
- Place in a medium bowl and add all the other ingredients
- Stir well until mini scallops are fully coated and let it rest in the bowl for 10 minutes to absorb flavors
- Preheat pan or iron skillet over medium-high heat
- Using a spoon scoop the scallops and place on preheated pan along with maximum 1 tbsp of whatever excess marinade you have left (if any. If there is none that’s OK)
- Let scallops sear in the pan while occasionally stirring. Sear for about 8 minutes until scallops get a light golden color.
- Serve warm or at room temperature over your favorite green salad (garden, tossed etc.)
The Canadian Food Experience project includes me and many other Canadian food bloggers (participants). It’s a project where we share our Canadian food stories and experience. We hope to bring global clarity to our Canadian culinary identity and hopefully raise recognition to Canadian food and food bloggers and make our Canadian voice shine.
I enjoyed reading about your regional specialty. Scallops are a favourite around here too.
Thanks so much!
[…] at Maya’s Kitchen from Halifax, Nova Scotia, writes about Mini Scallops, a Nova Scotian delight. “Living in […]
Maya
As you have access to so much seafood, unlike me, in the prairies, have you ever done a scallop taste test? I would be very curious about the differences in flavour and texture from one kind to the other. I have done this with shrimp and salmon, but never with scallops. Definitely, bigger is not always better. You are so forturnate to just stop at the fish monger for a bag of scallops on your way home from work. Do you see me turning green? This recipe is brilliant. Is there one scallop that is the “king” of scallops in your region – the grandaddy of them all – kind of like Cod is for white fish? Very curious about the fish scene on the East coast.
🙂
V
I’ve never had a scallop taste test, that WOULD be an interesting adventure! Maybe be taste tasting I can find the king of them here 🙂