Here is a simple yet nutritious recipe,
good for 6 - 8 people. This is the perfect dish if you are pressed
for time. An oriental corn succotash (which I will publish next issue),
goes perfectly well with the above. Both recipes were well received by
our guests at “Evelyn’s Kitchen -Cooking With Friends” last July 8.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds large, fresh and cleaned
scallops, cut in halves & pat dried with paper towels.
Vegetable oil
1 small onion cut into wedges and
separated
4-6 large mushrooms, stems removed and
thinly sliced (approximately 1/8")
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons tapioca starch, dissolved
in 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup strips of red bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
Methods:
1. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet
over medium high heat. Add the scallops and cook (turning once) until opaque -
about 2 minutes. Transfer the scallops, including the juice into a platter and
set aside.
2. Wipe dry the same skillet with paper
towel. Heat oil to medium and saute the onions until transparent. Stir in
the mushrooms and scallops; season with soy sauce and pepper then add the
water. Simmer and thicken the sauce with the tapioca mixture. Add the red bell
pepper. Sprinkle with dried parsley before serving. Serve hot.
Chef’s Tips: Buy scallops that are fresh
and sweet smelling. It is easier to buy them already cleaned and shucked. If
you prefer, you can buy the frozen ones. Just thaw them under cold water before
cooking.
Cooking Terms:
Here are some cooking terms you will
encounter every now and then in some of my recipes (or elsewhere for that
matter):
Poaching - cooking food by submerging it
in liquid (e.g. water and sugar syrup) that is just below boiling point.
Proving - creating a non-stick surface on
a pan. To prove, heat pan by rubbing with salt. Wipe clean and repeat with oil.
Liaison - this is a mixture of egg yolk
and cream to thicken sauces, stews and soups. This is normally added off the
heat to prevent curdling.
Editor’s note: Mrs. Evelyn S.
Bunoan is Owner/Master Chef, Philippine Oriental Market & Deli (with more
than 25 years of service to the Filipino-American community) - 3610
Lee Highway, Arlington, Virginia; (703)528-0300; Master Chef
(French cuisine), Le Cordon Bleu, London, UK; recipe creator, improviser,
and food stylist and writer; kitchen-tested and mastered more than 300
recipes, and counting.
Host of the cooking show - “Evelyn’s Kitchen -
Cooking with Friends”.
