Teriyaki Scallops

I have been hungry for scallops for awhile now, especially since Bernice, from Supper Plate has been posting so many wonderful looking dishes with scallops.  I have also been wanting something a little different as well, and decided to make some teriyaki scallops for a change.  We love teriyaki sauce, but for whatever reason, I don’t tend to make teriyaki dishes too often.  Maybe with a new year and a new decade ahead of us that will change.  Who knows?

Teriyaki, as we know it today, was born in the Hawaiian Islands during the 17th century, from the Japanese migrants who settled into the islands.  It is a fusion from the traditional Japanese recipe and the new Hawaiian version.  Traditionally, teriyaki sauce was made from only 4 ingredients, mirin, which is a sweet Japanese cooking wine, sugar, soy sauce and sake, which is another Japanese wine or spirit.  When the Japanese people migrated to the Hawaiian Islands, they fell in love with the pineapples that were so prevalent in the islands, and incorporated some pineapple juice, ginger, garlic, and often sesame seeds to their original marinade, and the result was the sauce we so love today.

The word teriyaki is a combination of two Japanese words, teri or tare, and yaki.  Teri means something that has luster or shines and yaki is a cooking method referring to something that is grilled or broiled over hot coals.  In the western world, when we hear the word teriyaki, we know it as something that has been marinated in teriyaki sauce.  It can be any kind of meat or vegetables that have been marinated in this particular type of sauce.

As you all know, normally I pride myself in making everything from scratch as much as possible, but with all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I have cut time a little and actually used some store bought items instead.  Such was the case for this dish.  I used a bottled teriyaki sauce rather than making my own.  Will you ever forgive me?  🙂  of course, I did “doctor” it up so it wasn’t exactly the same as it was coming straight out of the bottle.  The sauce was good, but a little too salty for our taste.  So, when I make my own the next time, I will cut down on some of the soy or at least use a low sodium soy sauce.  Other than that, it was very good.  We like spicy much more so that we like salty, so I added more ginger and more garlic, cooking them both with my vegetables.  I thought I had potstickers or wantons to use a side dish, but did not have either, so I used naan bread as an accompaniment instead.  My philosophy is to “use what you have and don’t worry about the rest”.  Indian is still considered to be Asian, so they kind of go together, right?!  🙂  Normally, with a spicy sauce, a good Gerwertztraminer or Riesling would be perfect, because their sweetness will balance out the spiciness of the dish.  I went with a dryer white wine though, and chose a Verdicchio instead, to offset the sweetness of the sauce, as well as the spice.

You can use any kind of vegetables you like, but I stayed with an Asian theme and used carrots, mushrooms, snow peas and shallots, along with garlic and ginger.  Then I topped everything with green onions, a dash of sesame seeds and some orange peel to really make all the flavors come to life.

Teriyaki Scallops with Vegetables

1-2 lbs sea scallops

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 large shallot, sliced very thin

2 carrots, sliced at an angle of Asian style

1 TBSP ginger

1 TBSP garlic

4 TBSP olive oil or peanut oil for cooking

1-1 1/2 cups teriyaki sauce

1-2 tsp arrowroot or cornstarch, optional

green onions, sliced Asian style for garnish

sesame seeds – optional for topping

orange peel optional for topping

 

Add your oil to a hot skillet or wok and then add the vegetables, ginger and garlic and cook until the carrots are tender and the shallots are translucent.  When the vegetables are cooked, remove them and set them aside.

In the same oil, adding more if necessary, add the scallops and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until they are browned and cooked.

When the scallops are cooked, add the sauce, and a little arrowroot or cornstarch if you prefer a slightly thicker sauce.  Mix everything together well and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

When the sauce is to your desired consistency, add the vegetables and combine everything together well.  Then serve over rice or noodles.  I used rice this time.  Top with green onions, sesame seeds and orange peel.

Dinner is ready.