Seared Scallop

Here on Tee's Taqueria, I welcome all kinds of tacos. From your traditional pork carnitas to "I've never cooked this before, let's see what happens" duck, I'm all about cooking with new and exciting fillings. So when a friend of mine came to visit me in Halifax, she requested something a little East Coast-y. And since I was too afraid to cook a lobster in my tiny apartment (what if he escaped and started living under my bed and using my Netflix subscription?), the obvious choice was fresh Digby scallops.

Now I really don't know how easy or difficult it is to find these guys outside of Nova Scotia. They're a staple of our grocery stores and roadside stands, so my cooking instructions are catered to fresh scallops rather than frozen. But a little Google-fu will surely teach you how to get frozen scallops prepped for this delicious taco treat.

Seared Scallop Tacos

Serves: 8 tacos                Prep Time: 5 min            Cook Time: 3 min

16 scallops
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Cabbage Slaw

1 cup bagged cabbage mix (I know, I know)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp lime juice

Garlic Sauce

1 clove garlic, pressed
1/4 cup mayo
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder

Corn tortillas

Prep It

Combine ingredients for the slaw and sauce. Get your scallops out of the fridge. I was able to get fresh scallops, what with being from Nova Scotia and all. I don't know what you're dealing with. If there's a little side muscle on the scallop, you need to remove it. Season the scallops with salt and pepper.

Cook It 

Preheat a pan or non-stick skillet on high. Add olive oil, then butter to the pan and stir to combine. Once the mix starts smoking and browning, add your scallops and don't let them touch. Cook on each side for 1 to 1. 5 minutes, so the scallops get nice and golden brown on the outside but not really cooked on the inside. Remove from pan.

Serve It

Place 2 scallops into a warm corn tortilla and top with cabbage slaw and just a little dab of garlic sauce (too much will overpower the scallops).