Scallop Salad

We all know scallops from the restaurant appetizer menu, but don’t assume it takes a chef’s touch to perfect that delicate texture. Trust your timer and you, too, can achieve a perfect, caramelized sear and a sweet, meaty center.

This quick scallop salad recipe compensates for the scallops’ mild flavor with a tangy, sweet mustard sauce. With the contrast between warm scallops, hot dressing and cool, crunchy green leaves, it’s a quirky salad to make for guests.

Ingredients for Scallop Salad

• Sea scallops: Sea scallops are larger than bay scallops and have a sweet taste and succulent texture. Putting scallops on salad seems unusual, but it works perfectly.
• Salt: Use salt to season the scallops and draw out some of the moisture.
• Pepper: Pepper is another essential seasoning added to the scallops before pan-frying.
• Olive oil: Olive oil is suitably aromatic, both for frying the scallops and making the dressing.
• Chives: Mince some fresh chives; they’re a common garnish for seafood.
• Balsamic vinegar: Sweet and slightly sour balsamic vinegar makes a great dressing.
• Garlic: Mince a couple of garlic cloves for their distinctive aroma.
• Tarragon: Use minced fresh tarragon to lend its assertive fragrance to the sauce.
• Honey: The sweetness in the honey will balance the acidity in the vinegar.
• Mustard: A spicy variety such as Dijon mustard is perfect for the dressing.
• Spring mix salad greens: Choose pre-washed greens to save time. The leaves provide the salad’s soft but crunchy bed.
• Carrots: Shredded carrots add a touch of sweet flavor and a sliver of color.
• Tomato: Add chopped fresh tomatoes to lend the green salad some substance.

Directions

Step 1: Sear the scallops

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Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and sear them for one to two minutes on each side or until they turn golden brown and firm. Remove the scallops from the pan and keep them warm.

Editor’s Tip: For tender, cooked scallops, the skillet should be hot and the oil shimmering. They are perfectly cooked when you have a crust on the edges and top, and an opaque but still bouncy center.

Step 2: Warm the scallop dressing

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In the same skillet, combine the chopped chives, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, fresh tarragon, honey, Dijon mustard and remaining olive oil. Bring the dressing to a boil, then cook and stir until it’s slightly thickened, about 30 seconds.

Step 3: Assemble the scallop salad

Divide the salad greens, shredded carrots and chopped tomato among four plates and top them with scallops. Drizzle the salad with the warm dressing and serve it immediately.

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Scallop Salad Variations

• Add bacon: Fry some bacon strips and crumble them into the dressing for a saltier flavor that goes so well with scallops.
• Sprinkle in some chili flakes: To give an already hot dressing some extra spice, sprinkle red pepper flakes onto the scallops at the end.
• Beef up the salad: Give the salad a bit more weight by adding avocado, thinly sliced radish and cucumber.

How to Store Scallop Salad

Although you can store cooked scallops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, this is really a quick scalloped salad that’s best enjoyed fresh. Nothing in the salad will improve after time in the refrigerator.

How do you reheat scallop salad?

The fresh leafy salad needs no reheating, of course, but you can reheat the scallops in a very gentle oven (around 250°F). They will dry out quickly, so just warm them through. Reheat the dressing in a pan on the stovetop before serving the salad.

Scallop Salad Tips

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How can I get the best scallop texture and aroma?

One trick you can use to remove any fishy odor (though really fresh scallops do smell like the ocean) is to soak the scallops in milk for up to half an hour. This is helpful for tenderizing the scallops—especially larger sea scallops.

What are the best scallops to use?

If there’s a choice at your local market or store, always choose “dry” scallops over “wet” ones. The latter are treated with phosphates and preservatives to make them plumper. This excess water makes them harder to sear. Dry scallops are sold fresh and untreated, just as nature intended. And when you’re making a simple salad with scallops, you want the best scallops you can find.

Are there any similar alternatives to scallops?

If you can’t find the quality of scallops you require, or just don’t like the texture of scallops, you can try shrimp instead. Firm white fish such as monkfish or cod can be cut into smaller cubes for a similar texture. You can even try a vegan option by using oyster mushrooms or another type of mushroom, many of which have a similarly firm composition.