Shortly after the first time I cooked sous-vide scallops, a friend asked why I spent five times as long as necessary to cook them. He said “5 minutes in a skillet and I would have the same thing!”. I had to correct him, explaining how delicate and absolutely perfectly cooked they were. The water bath really is irreplaceable. Eating scallops cooked sous-vide will change the way you cook them at home from here on out.
Scallops, Sous-vide
What is a scallop? They’re basically a saltwater clam- a bivalve organism. The major fisheries for scallops are in the Atlantic ocean off of Northeastern USA and eastern Canada, followed by fisheries around China and Japan. The adductor muscle is a firm and white usually round muscle, and is the part of the scallop which we most commonly eat. If you had to choose three ingredients to cook scallops with, you will most often find recipes utilizing butter, garlic and or lemon. Scallops are good sources of saturated fats, and high in protein.
The recipe below describes a healthy and delicious meal for two.
SousVide Living ‘Scallops, Shallots, Spinach and ‘Shrooms’
Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cook Time: 30 minutes @ 122°F
Ingredients:
- 8 Scallops (fresh)
- 1 Shallot (diced)
- 1 Garlic Clove (sliced thin)
- 2 TBS Butter (1 TBS optional for scallops in bag)
- 1 Cup Mushrooms (sliced)
- 2 Cups Spinach (leaf)
- 1.5 Tsp Pepper
- 2 Tsp Salt
Sous-vide Scallops Procedural Directions
Wash scallops lightly to remove any sand or grit. Sprinkle 1 Tsp Salt and 1 Tsp Pepper over both sides of the (8) scallops. Place seasoned scallops in sous-vide appropriate bag. It is optional to add 1 TBS Butter to scallops in bag. Seal with water dispersion method if using Ziploc type bag, or vacuum seal otherwise.
Place in heated water bath at 122°F for 30 minutes.
As the scallops sit in the bath, prepare the other ingredients to be cooked towards the end of the 30 minute water.
With 8-10 minutes left in the water bath, heat a skillet over medium and melt the remaining 1 TBS of butter. Add the sliced mushrooms, diced shallots and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes then add the spinach and remaining salt and pepper. Mix until spinach is wilted and mushrooms are sautéed.
Remove from heat and divide between two plates.
At this point return the skillet to high heat, and sear the scallops for about 20-30 seconds each side. We are looking for a golden brown finish.
Plate 3-4 scallops per plate, on top of or next to the bed of vegetables.
Now, we enjoy!
