Steamed Scallops in Sake
How to Make Delicious Steamed Red Scallops in Sake!
Doesn’t this Steamed Scallop dish look impressive? We arranged blanched vegetables, added the scallops, steamed them with sake, and prepared a ponzu sauce and garnishes. This dish is relatively simple to make but results in a stunning presentation.
Ingredients- 1kg Red Scallops
- 4 Napa Cabbage Leaves
- 1 Leek
- 2 Shiitake Mushrooms
- 1 piece Daikon Radish
- 1/4 Carrot
- 1/2 Lemon
- 1 shot Sake (approx. 50ml)
- 1/2 cup Dashi Stock (approx. 100ml)
Ponzu Sauce- 2 Tbsp Dashi Stock
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Vinegar
Garnishes- Daikon Radish (julienned and rinsed)
- A pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
- Lemon (thinly sliced)
- Scallions (chopped)
- 2 Tbsp Dashi Stock
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Vinegar
Garnishes- Daikon Radish (julienned and rinsed)
- A pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
- Lemon (thinly sliced)
- Scallions (chopped)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Are scallops naturally this beautiful? Their color is so vibrant, I was surprised! I imagined plain clams, so seeing these lovely red scallops made me feel instantly cheerful. I decided to make Steamed Scallops in Sake right away and started the purging process.
Step 2
For purging the scallops, it’s best to use water with a salinity similar to seawater. Dissolve a generous amount of salt in water.
Step 3
Place the scallops in a bowl for purging.
Step 4
Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and leave it in a dark place for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. This process will help the scallops expel any impurities.
Step 5
The purged scallops have expelled a lot of impurities. Rinse them about 3 times under running water until the water runs clear.
Step 6
Use a small brush to scrub away any remaining dirt or rough spots on the shells. This makes the scallops look much cleaner and more appealing.
Step 7
After scrubbing with a brush, rinse the scallops thoroughly multiple times until no more impurities come out. Aren’t the cleaned scallops lovely? They look so much prettier now!
Step 8
Let’s make the dashi stock. Pour water into a pot and add 3 sheets of dried kelp. Remove the kelp just before the water boils to prevent a bitter taste. Set aside 1/2 cup of this dashi stock; we’ll use it for the scallop steaming and the ponzu sauce. The remaining dashi stock will be used to blanch the vegetables.
Step 9
Prepare the vegetables. Scrub the lemon thoroughly with baking soda. Slice half of the lemon into half-moons and the other half into fan shapes. Use only half of the daikon radish, cut into a thick wedge. Slice the shiitake mushrooms into star shapes and the lemon halves into half-moons. Cut the other half of the lemon into fan shapes. Wash the Napa cabbage leaves and set aside.
Step 10
Cut the carrot into pentagons to create a base shape, then carve flower patterns into them.
Step 11
Carve star patterns into the shiitake mushrooms. Slice half of the daikon radish into shapes resembling ginkgo leaves.
Step 12
Bring a pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Blanch the daikon radish, carrot, and Napa cabbage until almost tender but still slightly crisp. Drain them and rinse under cold water.
Step 13
Arrange the vegetables attractively in the steamer. Stand the daikon radish and leek upright. Roll the Napa cabbage leaves and slice them diagonally before standing them up. Nicely arrange the prepared scallops on top.
Step 14
Tuck the half-moon slices of lemon between the opened scallop shells for decoration. Japanese cuisine is so appealing because of its beautiful and neat presentation.
Step 15
Add the shiitake mushrooms and carrots. I do worry a little that the arrangement might get messy as the scallops open up when they cook.
Step 16
To add a touch of green, take one piece of bok choy and place its base into the arrangement. We’ll add the bok choy leaves after the scallops are fully steamed.
Step 17
Now, place the pot over heat and add about 1/4 cup of water.
Step 18
It’s nice to add sake for a clean flavor, but since I only had soju at home, I poured in about a shot of soju. (Laughs) Cover with a lid and steam over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
Step 19
While the scallops are steaming, let’s prepare the garnishes. Grate the daikon radish and rinse it in water to remove excess moisture.
Step 20
Color the grated daikon with red pepper flakes. Chop the scallions finely and soak them in cold water to remove their pungency. Mix the ponzu sauce ingredients (2 Tbsp dashi stock, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp vinegar) to make the sauce.
Step 21
The ponzu sauce and garnishes are ready.
Step 22
Once the scallops have opened wide, turn off the heat. Add the bok choy leaves and let them steam for a moment. Spoon some of the flavorful broth from the bottom of the pot over the shiitake mushrooms and bok choy. Gently cover with the lid again and let it rest.
Step 23
Now, let’s present the Steamed Scallops in Sake with the ponzu sauce and garnishes. What do you think? Doesn’t this Steamed Scallop dish look incredibly luxurious?
