Escabeche-Style Scallop Salad

I recently got involved with an interesting menu consulting project for a property located in the Bahamas. One of the goals was to create a higher-end menu for a few seafood-oriented dishes that can be served on the beach.

I spoke with the former dean of my culinary school about the project, and he got so excited with the possibility of cooking something escabèche-style. The use of a highly acidic marinade with a cooked seafood product makes this the perfect item to serve outside on a hot summer day. And you don’t need to worry about keeping it hot.

This salad includes some scallops cooked escabeche, where they are first browned on one side and then marinated in a combination of lime juice, olive oil, and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

Print Pin

Escabeche-Style Scallop Salad

I recently got involved with an interesting menu consulting project for a property located in the Bahamas. One of the goals was to create a higher-end menu for a few seafood-oriented dishes that can be served on the beach.

I spoke with the former dean of my culinary school about the project, and he got so excited with the possibility of cooking something escabèche-style. The use of a highly acidic marinade with a cooked seafood product makes this the perfect item to serve outside on a hot summer day. And you don’t need to worry about keeping it hot.

This salad includes some scallops cooked escabeche, where they are first browned on one side and then marinated in a combination of lime juice, olive oil, and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients

• 16 oz 1 lb fresh sea scallops
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• Zest of 2 limes
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 shallot (finely minced)
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• ¼ tsp Freshly-ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp fresh chives (finely sliced)
• 3 cups fresh Arugula (washed and dried)
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)

Instructions 

• Pat the sea scallops dry gently using paper towels.
• Add the vegetable oil to a hot sauté pan, and wait for the oil to heat up.
• *I often like to use a cast iron skillet to cook scallops quickly over very high heat.
• When the vegetable oil is nearly smoking, cook the scallops in two batches, cooking each scallop until it is browned on one side.
• *Try not to over-crowd the scallops when you sear them in the pan.
• When one side of the scallop is browned, remove the scallops from the oil and place in a bowl.
• Add the lime zest, lime juice, minced shallot, Kosher salt, freshly-ground black pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh chives.
• Allow the scallops to marinate in the liquid for roughly 30 minutes before you intend to serve the finished salads.
• When you are ready to serve the salads, drain and reserve the marinade liquid from the scallops.
• Toss the fresh Arugula and halved cherry tomatoes in the reserved marinade, and distribute the arugula and tomatoes among 4-6 salad plates.
• Finely slice the scallops into about 6 pieces per scallop, and arrange the slices of scallops onto each bed of arugula.
• Serve at room temperature.

Notes

I love these styles of dishes in the summer, especially on a hot day. You can serve the scallops at room temperature.