If you are undecided on how to cook scallops at home, this pan-seared scallops with asparagus recipe is perfect for you. Perfectly seared scallops have a caramelized golden crust on the outside, with a tender and delicate interior. It is an expensive dish in the restaurant, but doable at home at a fraction of the cost. In addition, it is much easier than you might expect. You need a good pan and the correct technique, which I will explain in this article.

This sea scallops recipe is a favorite during our Chinese New Year dinner recently and can be dished out within fifteen minutes. I also added some homemade XO sauce to the scallop, which got so much attention even though it was only a side dish.

The pan-seared scallop is also a fool-proof dish as it does not need fancy seasoning to bring out the taste. I push the flavor in a different direction in this recipe, from the usual lemon zest and fresh herbs to using oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil.

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1. Pan-seared the scallops

The best way to cook the scallops is to sear to create a slightly charred exterior while the interior is still soft and tender. Since fresh sea scallops are hard to get, I usually use frozen scallops and therefore is essential to thaw thoroughly before cooking.  

Preparation before searing the scallops

I thawed the scallops in the chiller overnight, then put them on the kitchen top until they were back to room temperature.

Before searing the scallop, pat dry with a paper towel and make sure they are dry, as wet scallops will not get a good sear.

There is no need to blanch the scallops before searing unless you find that they are not fresh and have some undesired smell. 

Sear the scallops

1. Place the scallops on a flat surface, and season with salt and black pepper on both sides.
2. A nonstick skillet is best to sear the scallop, as they tend to stick to the bottom if you use a stainless steel frying pan. A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is a good alternative, as the scallops are less likely to stick to a cast-iron pan. 
3. Once the oil is heated, place the scallops in the hot pan, single layer, undisturbed, and let it sear on one side for about one minute. The actual duration depends on the heat, but generally, medium heat is best as it helps to brown the surface quickly without over-cooking the interior due to prolonged searing.
4. The scallops are best to be seared undisturbed until the first side turns golden brown. Next, flip the scallops and sear on the other side.
5. Remove them immediately from heat once both sides of the scallops form a golden-brown crust to avoid over-cooking.

You can use butter, olive oil, or canola oil to pan-sear the scallops. However, I prefer using oil with a high smoke point, such as peanut oil, since this pan-seared scallops recipe has an Asian twist, which involves the typical Cantonese seasonings.

2. Cook the asparagus and carrots

The second step of this pan-seared scallops recipe is to stir-fry the asparagus and carrots.

Clean the asparagus with water, and pat dry with a kitchen towel.

Snap the asparagus into two by holding the woody ends near the base of the asparagus. The asparagus will snap at the point where the fibrous and tender parts meet. Otherwise, you can eyeball the best position to cut the asparagus into two with a knife. I usually separate the fresh asparagus spears from the stem, but the asparagus I had was super snappy and fresh, so I kept them intact.

You may want to use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough surface of the part that snapped off, which will otherwise be a waste.

I include some thin carrot slices to improve the overall color and presentation. You can refer to the video on this page on how to make the carrot slices look like a flower by carving a few grooves lengthwise before cutting them.

Steps to stir-fry the asparagus

1. Heat some oil in a pan over low heat, and start by sauteing the thin garlic and fresh ginger slices. Once they turn aromatic, you can push them to the side of the pan or remove them with the oil remaining in the pan. There is no need to remove them if you use a large skillet. 
2. Add the asparagus and carrots, slice into a large frying pan and saute over medium-high heat for a minute. Season the asparagus with salt and pepper along the way.
3. Once the asparagus starts to turn color, add a few tablespoons of water and then steam them with the lid on for a minute to ensure the carrots are soft and the asparagus is tender-crisp with bright green color.
4. Meanwhile, season the asparagus with oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine (alternative: white wine/ rice wine). These seasonings make it tastes different from asparagus seasoned with fresh lemon juice and fresh herbs.
5. Add the garlic and ginger back to the pan if you have removed them earlier.
6. Do a taste test to ensure the flavor is correct, then constitute a cornstarch slurry with one teaspoon of cornstarch and two tablespoons of cold water.
7. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan, and give a few quick stirs until it starts to thicken. You may not need to add all the slurry and should stop adding once the sauce is thickened,
8. Lastly, add a teaspoon of sesame oil, mix well and transfer the asparagus and carrots to the serving plate.

3. Topped the scallops with XO sauce

Now comes the final step. First, arrange the asparagus on the serving plate, and then put the scallops on the bed of asparagus. 

It is now ready to serve. However, it is even better to add a small dollop of XO sauce on individual scallops before serving.

What is XO sauce?

Place the XO sauce on top of each scallop. It surely will accentuate the taste of the whole dish to a higher level. It is best served with white rice.

This pan-seared scallops recipe is best to serve during special occasions. For example, we made it during Chinese New Year dinner as one of the side dishes, which was a hit among the family members. 

XO sauce is a premium Cantonese condiment made with dry scallops, Jinhua ham, and dried shrimp. It has highly concentrated umami with relish-like shredded dried scallop and shrimps suspended in spicy oil. XO is a savory sauce, so you may consider using less or use low sodium soy sauce while making the stir-fry sauce. You can purchase XO sauce from the Asian grocery store or online. I have a homemade recipe of XO Sauce on this food blog which shows you how to make it from scratch.
If you do not have XO sauce, you can consider sprinkling some sesame seeds and red pepper flakes or slices of red chilies to give it another twist.

Variations and more related recipes

You can use other green vegetables to replace asparagus, such as green beans, as an easy dinner during regular days. It is also a healthy recipe as it does not involve plenty of oil.

If you like this pan-seared scallop recipe, you may want to try the asparagus stir-fry recipe with chicken on this food blog. It is an easy recipe, a great way to cook a healthy meal using the commonly available seasoning in the kitchen pantry,