By Teaching Elise the biscuit recipe over FaceTime, the teaching through screen, technology as bridge for recipes. The week was the life. The life was the cooking. The cooking was the love. And the love was the week, and the week was one of the weeks that stack together to become the years, and the years become the life, and the life is the woman at the stove who cooks and writes and loves and does not stop.
I made she-crab soup on Sunday — the anchor, the constant, the practice. The soup was perfect. The perfection was the practice. And the practice continues, one Sunday at a time, one bowl at a time, one life at a time, the woman stirring, the roux thickening, the kitchen warm, the family fed, the love alive.
The she-crab soup is my Sunday anchor, but it’s the weeknights in between that ask something different of me — something quick and bright that still feels like care. After a week of FaceTime biscuit lessons with Elise and a Sunday pot of soup that reminded me why I keep showing up at this stove, I wanted a dish that honored the sea and moved fast, something seared and clean and alive. These stir fried scallops with asparagus are exactly that — a weeknight exhale, tender and quick, the kind of thing you make when you’ve already given the week everything you had and the kitchen just needs to meet you where you are.
Stir Fried Scallops and Asparagus
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs large sea scallops, patted dry
- 1 lb fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnish
- Salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the sauce. Whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
- Season the scallops. Pat scallops thoroughly dry with paper towels — this is key to a good sear. Season lightly with salt and white pepper on both sides.
- Blanch the asparagus. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus pieces and blanch for 90 seconds until bright green and just tender. Drain and set aside.
- Sear the scallops. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until nearly smoking. Add scallops in a single layer without crowding. Sear undisturbed for 2 minutes until a golden crust forms. Flip and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate.
- Build the stir fry. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add blanched asparagus and toss to coat, about 1 minute.
- Bring it together. Pour the sauce over the asparagus and stir to coat. Return scallops to the wok and gently toss everything together for 30 seconds, just enough to warm through and glaze.
- Serve immediately. Plate over steamed rice if desired. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 220 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 10g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 780mg