Scallops, sweet and umami sauce and a kick of chives in a one bite wonder of an appy? Sign me up! Scallops are the perfect little sweet bites of protein and flavour – and make not only a great main, but also a great appetizer. Here, we’ve paired them with an orange miso sauce to add a sweet, salty and umami flavour boost to pair with the sweet scallops and balance them out with a little acidity.

It’s pretty easy to do – honestly, the hardest part is waiting for the sauce to simmer and reduce – and works wonderfully on these little serving spoons. I got mine at Ming Wo ages ago, but any spoon like serving dish will do (like an Asian soup spoon for instance). The spoons make it look impressive (and fancy), and allow people to enjoy all of the flavours together in one bite. We hope you enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

12 large scallops (you can use ones from frozen, or use fresh – whatever you have)
3-4 chives, sliced into 1 inch segments
a sprinkle of salt, pepper and sugar
1 tbs butter or canola oil (or whatever oil you have on hand)

For the sauce:
2 tsp sesame oil
2 shallots, minced
1 tbs ginger, grated (tip: freeze your ginger and grate it with a microplane to make it easier – and take the skin off with a spoon!)
1 cup chicken broth (or sub veggie or fish broth for pescatarian)
1/4 cup frozen orange juice thawed
3 tbs unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tbs shiro miso or white miso (I just keep some in the fridge for when I need it – it lasts a long time)

INSTRUCTIONS

Start with your sauce. In a small saucepan, heat the sesame oil on medium heat. Once glistening and moving easily (aka hot), add the shallots and ginger and saute for about 2 mins, or until fragrant – don’t let it burn. Add the broth, rice vinegar and orange juice concentrate (tip: I segment my orange juice concentrate into approx 1/4 segments and put it in small tupperware in the freezer to pull out for moments just like this – tomato paste too! Makes it very convenient and you don’t need to remember to buy for the recipe). Simmer until the mixture is reduced by about 3/4 and starts to thicken – 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the miso until it makes a cohesive sauce and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil/butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Pat dry your scallops with a paper towel and season with a sprinkle of sugar (this helps to get that golden brown caramelization), salt and pepper. One the pan is good and hot, add your scallops. Sear for about 1.5 mins a side (1 if they’re small, 2 if they’re really fat like mine). One cooked, immediately take them off the heat and assemble.

To assemble, lay out your spoons on a serving dish. Place about 1/2 tbs or so of sauce in the bottom of each spoon and top with a scallop and a couple pieces of chives. Serve immediately.