Scallops, or hotate in Japanese, are one of my favourite sea foods. In japan, these are popular in their raw state as sushi or sashimi (particularly on the northern island, Hokkaido, where they are so abundant). For those who don't fancy eating raw shellfish, hotate are also found in Japanese yakitori bars where they're usually served grilled or fried in butter.
Now I can eat scallops every which way, but the way iIlike them best is deep fried in breadcrumbs (think big scampi and you get the idea). I love the crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside contrast and I think 3 mins or so of deep frying actually enhances the flavour.
While fresh scallops are best, I usually buy mine frozen from an Asian store (the ones sold in UK supermarkets always seem to be on the small side). Making deep fried scallops is easy - just coat in flour, beaten egg and panko breadcrumbs and then fry each side for a minute or two and you're done. I would serve this with rice and perhaps a soup or a vegetable dish (or both if I fancied something a little more complex.)
If you're in the mood for some scallops, you can find the youtube tutorial by clicking Scallops in breadcrumbs or just scroll to the bottom of the page. The written pdf recipe is just below.
Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX.
If you would like to pair this dish with a soup, why not try my Miso soup with Pumpkin and Green beans recipe?
Fried Scallops in Breadcrumbs
ingredients:
(makes 2 servings)
8 large scallops
1 egg, beaten
40g panko (breadcrumbs)
40g plain flour
a little salt & pepper
veg oil for deep frying
how to:
season the scallops with the salt & pepper
coat them with the flour, then the beaten egg and finally with the panko
pour 2cm of veg oil into a pan and heat to 180’C
fry the scallops for 1-2 mins each side until golden
(check to ensure the scallops are cooked through)