pan-seared Hokkaido scallops
Hokkaido scallops are plump, juicy & sweet.
I bought once from Isetan Orchard during a Japanese Fair and a 1kg box cost S$90 and they were really sweet. I bought also from QB Food frozen USA scallops at S$17 for 500g but these were not so great. Recently I bought 1 box 900g from Sheng Shiong on promotion at S$24.80, and these were quite ok.
I previously had difficulty searing scallop because the technique was wrong. So again after I check out Foodwishes.com Chef John’s seared scallop recipe, I can now reproduce quite easily scallops with a nice sear (as in above picture).
As mentioned in the video, the trick is simply (1)a superhot pan & (2)bone dry scallops. Scallops, like fish, retain a lot of moisture and if they are not totally dry, the temperature of the pan will drop sharply and you will be boiling/poaching the scallop rather than searing it, and the burnt layer will come off & stick to the pan.
With the right technique then it is really simple. I dry the scallops on a rack in the fridge so that both top & bottom are dry & the water drip on to a bowl or tray below the rack. I bring out the scallops from the fridge for at least 1/2 hour to get it to room temperature. I lightly season the scallop with sea salt & coarse black pepper and place them in a superhot pan with olive oil & sear for 3minutes, watching the side cook to opaque white colour 1/3 to 1/2 way up & then flip the scallops. I cook for another 2-3minutes and then serve. It is that simple.
I have tried also Chef John’s orange supreme sauce, however I don’t really find much there as I don’t feel the sauce add anything to the scallop & maybe reduce the seared flavour & texture. I would rather have my seared scallops with rockets and cherry tomatoes dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt.
c.h.e.f andy
c.h.e.f 
looks perfect!
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try butter instead of olive oil. as far as i know, olive oil is not nice at high temp. check this out http://scienceornot.net/2012/09/15/is-it-safe-to-cook-with-olive-oil/
indeed! you were right…
subsequent to the posting i used vegetable oil which has higher smoke point than butter & olive oil (lowest smoke point). sometimes i add butter before flipping to the other side. 🙂
“At The Olive Oil Source, we believe that extra virgin olive oil smokes roughly between 400 and 365ºF (204 and 185ºC) depending on its free fatty acid content. Here is what the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) has to say about frying food with olive oil:
When heated, olive oil is the most stable fat, which means it stands up well to high frying temperatures. Its high smoke point (410ºF or 210ºC) is well above the ideal temperature for frying food (356ºF or 180ºC). The digestibility of olive oil is not affected when it is heated, even when it is re-used several times for frying”
http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/heating-olive-oil#Myths
Why would louiskkchan quote this article when it’s conclusion is exactly the opposite of what he is claiming? (I wrote it, so I should know.) The is no justification for singling olive oil out in this regard.
Sorry – a correctly proofread version of that last paragraph:
Why would louiskkchan quote this article when its conclusion is exactly the opposite of what he is claiming? (I wrote it, so I should know.) There is no justification for singling olive oil out in this regard.
Spot on with this write-up, I honestly feel this site needs far more attention. I’ll probably be back again to see more, thanks
for the advice!
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