This yellow curry is such a warming, perfect dish to make for the end of winter. Seared scallops are the star here, but it’s also a fantastic dish to prepare if you want a way to cook up lots of veggies. The vegetables you use are interchangeable depending upon the season.
Frozen Scallops are the perfect Sea Pantry item (here are some of my favorite seafoods to stock my frozen Sea Pantry with). You will love having these delicious morsels waiting in the freezer for a ready-in-a-moment’s-notice dinner that’s easy to put together, but still feels special.
I used Bristol Seafood Fair Trade Scallop in this recipe. When it comes to finding sea scallops, look for ones that are sustainably caught from an MSC-certified fishery or ones that are farmed and recommended by Seafood Watch.
Serves 4
For the Curry:
- 2 cups brown rice, cooked per the package instructions until tender
- 8 to 9 cups seasonal vegetables, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup yellow curry paste
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 cups baby spinach
For the Scallops:
- 1/2 pound Bristol Seafood Fair Trade sea scallops
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon Canola or Grapeseed oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
To Prepare the Curry:
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Blanch the vegetables until they are mostly cooked but still firm, adding the longest-cooking vegetables first. They will finish cooking in the curry without becoming too soft (most vegetables require just 1 minute, but potatoes and squash require more time, up to 10 minutes).
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the oil and curry paste over medium-high heat, and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. The paste will spatter quite a bit, so use a lid or splatter guard.
3. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar; bring to a boil.
4. Stir the vegetables into the curry. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 minutes. Season to taste with more fish sauce and sugar. Just before serving, add the spinach. Stir until just wilted.
To Prepare the Scallops:
1. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. In the meantime, pat the scallops very dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the sea scallops with salt and pepper, to season. When the pan is hot, add the oil, then drop in your scallops — they should make a sizzling noise when you put them in the pan. Make sure they are spaced out enough so they don’t steam each other.
2. Cook the scallops for two minutes, making sure not to move them or touch them at all. Flip the scallops over with a pair of tongs, then add the butter to the pan. Let the scallops cook for 1 more minute, basting the scallops with the butter. Remove the scallops from the pan.
3. To serve: Divide the rice between 4 bowls. Add the curried vegetables and top with the seared scallops.
Looking for more scallop recipes? Try this recipe for Glazed Scallops with Cumin Butter Leaf Salad!