Malta Development Blog

For many New Englanders, September is more than the beginning of fall, it's also the traditional start of shellfish season.

While no one really has to wait until autumn to get seafood anymore, everyone knows that the freshest shellfish in New York starts to arrive in September. Take advantage of this time by trying out a new recipe for scallops. This is one of our favorites; a recipe for spicy sesame scallops.

You'll Need:

2 lbs of large sea scallops (about 24), rinsed with cold water

2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3 tablespoons of chili paste

sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, coat scallops with sesame oil and salt. Allow scallops to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat broiler. On a jelly roll pan, arrange scallops in a single layer and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine chili paste with 2 tablespoons of water, Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of this sauce on each scallop.
4. Broil scallops 4 inches from heat source until scallops turn opaque and the chili sauce starts to brown. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

This is a great recipe for fall get-togethers and potlucks. Because so few people are familiar with how to cook scallops, they’re seen as a real treat when you take this dish to a neighborhood get-together. Its also very easy to make this dish in large batches. If you need to tone down the heat, reduce or eliminate the chili paste.

If you want to try something a little different, replace the scallops with shrimp. You may also want to try serving this dish with a small side salad with sesame ginger dressing and vegetable fried rice.

Recipe adapted from MyRecipes