Thai-Style Scallops and Asparagus

By Florence Fabricant

Published April 26, 2011

  • Sabra Krock for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(78)
Comments
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Asian restaurants should pay more attention to dry Vouvrays. Like rieslings, which are frequently poured with Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, Vouvrays knit bright acidity into their alluring canvas of citric and floral aromas and flavors, sometimes kissed with spice or sugar. They are ready for action the minute the fragrances of ginger, coriander and lemon grass waft from the kitchen.This recipe follows the template for many Thai dishes: it starts with a curry paste that is heated and becomes the foundation for a stir-fry. The dish does require some shopping, though most of the ingredients have become mainstream. Asparagus cues the season.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings

FOR THE THAI-STYLE SCALLOPS AND ASPARAGUS

  • 2 tablespoons chopped shallots

  • 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh lemon grass (cores of 2 bulbs)

  • 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

  • 1 large garlic clove, chopped

  • 2 teaspoons Thai shrimp paste, or anchovy paste

  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

  • Grated zest and juice of ½ lime

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • ½ pound asparagus, ends snapped off, stalks slant-cut in 1-inch pieces

  • 1 pound sea scallops

  • ⅓ cup fish stock

  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk

  • ½ teaspoon sriracha, or to taste

  • Salt

  • 1 cup jasmine rice, steamed

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 to 4 servings)

22 grams carbs; 31 milligrams cholesterol; 246 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 10 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 641 milligrams sodium; 18 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. FOR THE THAI-STYLE SCALLOPS AND ASPARAGUS

    1. Step 1

      Combine the shallots, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, shrimp paste, coriander, lime zest and juice in a food processor or a large mortar. Thrash to a paste.

    2. Step 2

      Heat the oil in a heavy sauté pan on high. Add the seasoning paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the asparagus and stir. Add the scallops, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring gently, another 3 minutes. Add the fish stock, coconut milk and sriracha, simmer another 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and more sriracha to taste. Serve with the steamed jasmine rice.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
78 user ratings
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Comments

John

It doesn't really work to thrash lemongrass as set forth in this recipe. One tends to end up with stingy chewy pieces or globs of the stuff. A far better process is to do what the Vietnamese tend to do...chop it into manageable and easy to find pieces then cook those pieces in the broth. Afterwards, remove the lemongrass sticks before serving the dish up. That way you get the flavor but none of the yucky tasting lemongrass sediment.

Pat B

The asparagus takes longer to cook than the scallops. So I would not put in the scallops till later - just before adding the liquids. Otherwise, you will have tough scallops which happened to me.

Fiona

I used a Cuisinart mini food processor to blend the lemon grass and other ingredients. It worked perfectly. There was no fish stock available, so I bought clam juice and that seemed like a fine substitute. Overall, this came together quickly and had great flavor. You can't beat it for an impressive and tasty weeknight meal. Way better than takeout (in my part of the US, anyway).

Fiona

I used a Cuisinart mini food processor to blend the lemon grass and other ingredients. It worked perfectly. There was no fish stock available, so I bought clam juice and that seemed like a fine substitute. Overall, this came together quickly and had great flavor. You can't beat it for an impressive and tasty weeknight meal. Way better than takeout (in my part of the US, anyway).

Pat B

The asparagus takes longer to cook than the scallops. So I would not put in the scallops till later - just before adding the liquids. Otherwise, you will have tough scallops which happened to me.

Allison

Good. I'll add a bit more ginger the next time. I also doubled the ingredients for the paste, since I was skeptical that the amounts listed would be enough to engage the blade of the food processor and actually make a paste. Subbed anchovy fillets for the shrimp/anchovy paste since that's what I had in the house. The recipe would work well for shrimp or a thick fillet of fish.

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