Pan Fried Scallops with XO Sauce

My family loves the umami flavour in scallops. When the scallops are stir fried with XO sauce, the whole dish is enriched with a kick of hot, producing more in-depth, sophisticated flavours that will surely make every taste bud dance. Best of all, pan-frying scallops is very simple and quick, suitable for matching with a wide variety of vegetables. I like the vegetables are just cooked, still crunchy in texture. So the whole dish is completely balanced both in texture and flavours. Oh, one more side note, I have to make a bigger portion next time when I make this dish again. The whole dish was gone within a few minutes.

Pan Fried Scallops with XO Sauce (Printable recipe)
By Christine's Recipes
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Yield: 2 to 3 serves

Ingredients:

• 6 scallops (fresh or frozen), about 160 gm
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp Shaoxing wine
• 160 gm green beans
• 1 stalk celery, about 90 gm
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 4 Tbsp salt-reduced chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp Lee Kum Kee XO sauce
• red chilli, finely chopped, for garnish, optional

Thickening:

• 1/2 tsp corn flour / corn starch
• 2 Tbsp water
• sugar, to taste
• salt, to taste

Method:

• Blanch scallops in boiling water for about 1 to 2 minutes. Don’t over cook them. Immediately drain up and wipe dry with kitchen papers. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of wine. Set aside.
• Trim the green beans. Remove the tissue of celery. Rinse the vegetables and drain well. Cut into long strips. Set aside.
• Blanch the green beans in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain and immediately soak in cold water until cold to touch. Then drain well. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Pan fry scallops over medium-high heat, until both sides are lightly brown, each side for about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat oil and sauté garlic over medium heat until fragrant. Make sure not to burn the garlic. Add the green beans and celery. Quickly stir fry. Pour chicken stock and combine well. Cook until the beans start to turn soft. Add XO sauce and scallops. Stir to combine well. Cook for another 1 minute. Add thickening and cook to preferred consistency. Serve immediately.

Notes:

• If using frozen scallops, make sure the scallops are completely thawed in fridge or at room temperature before cooking. By blanching the thawed scallops, it helps remove the frozen smell as well.
• Don't ever over cook the scallops. The texture becomes tough otherwise.
• Immediately soak the blanched beans in cold water. The beans will retain the fresh green colour by doing this.