Food To Glow miso butter scallops with pan-toasted sweetcorn and zucchini “noodles” is summer eating made fancy, but oh so easy. Barely any cooking, barely any washing up. And this is easy to make vegan with firm tofu or tempeh and best vegan butter. It’s all in the sauce.
My Japanese – and summer – inspired recipe uses one simple sauce to act as both basting sauce and wine-splashed, caramelised skillet sauce. Laid on a bed of pan-toasted sweetcorn and a green tangle of spiralised courgette (zucchini), the umami-basted scallops are ready to eat in about 10 minutes.
I know! A quick and easy recipe from Food To Glow. I’m trying to be better on this front as we are all busy, and want our meals healthy, delicious and quick. I hope you think this is all three.
I’ve written the recipe for two, but it is easily increased to elegantly feed as many people as you wish. Just add a chilled bottle or carafe of mineral-licked white wine (ask for my recommendation in the comments, if you wish) and best bread. A simple homemade focaccia (nothing with extra flavours) would be fantastic. Or you might want to lace this with cooked brown rice noodles.
Basically it couldn’t be easier to be fancy this summer. Only you will know how easy this colourful and only slightly indulgent dish is to prepare. Of course just prepare it for yourself if you wish. It is quick and easy enough to be what Hey Nutrition Lady and I would call a “single lady supper”.
Oh, and if you are nervous of cooking scallops – they can be pricey to buy and easy to overcook if you aren’t paying attention – use fat shrimp/prawns, or even firm tofu. In fact, this is divine with fermented tofu. Tofu and miso are of course made for each other as they are from the same source – soy beans. This reminds me to remind you that it is always prudent to source organic and non-GMO versions of soy – tofu, tempeh, yogurts, cheese, spread, miso.
How to make summery miso butter scallops
The steps to bring this simple summer supper to your table are few:
1) Mix the sauce ingredients.
2) Cut the sweetcorn from the cob and sling into a hot skillet; or pour straight in the skillet from your freezer bag. Toss the pan around when you hear a few kernels pop. Let the corn get all flecked with brown and smelling like popcorn.
3) Spiralize or julienne your zucchini/courgette. No need to squeeze them.
4) Mostly cook the scallops then slick with a generous amount of basting sauce to completely cook and get a bit caramelly (this takes about five minutes tops – depending on the thickness of your scallops).
5) Pop the scallops on the vegetables. Squeeze over some fresh lemon or lime if you wish (I wish).
6) Add some wine to the pan and sizzle up to make a glossy pouring sauce. Anoint each scallop with more sauce, letting it dribble onto the courgette and corn. Be restrained if you can. I promise you it’s best this way.
6.5) Pour the rest of the wine into pretty glasses and serve.
7) Repeat once a week until autumn. 🙂
Here is a readable little article from the Guardian on why Britain has gone mad for miso.
And some miso-centric recipes here on Food To Glow
Wild Garlic Miso Sauce with Soba Noodles
Miso Mac and Cheese with Sizzling Eggplant
Griddled Miso and Sweet Ginger Glazed Tempeh
Follow my Facebook and Instagram accounts for extra, ultra-simple, recipes that don’t appear on the blog. And if you post an Instagram pic of one of my recipes that you’ve made, I will share it with pride. 🙂
Now, are you ready to hit up the fishmonger for their finest scallops? Or will you go the tofu route? And, isn’t miso butter the finest melding of East and West you can think of?
Miso Butter Scallops with Toasted Corn and Courgetti
Miso Butter Sauce
1 tbsp sweet white miso
2 tbsp brown rice miso
60ml (1/4 cup) white wine or mirin 
1 tbsp of organic butter (dairy or best non-dairy), melted
1/2 tsp grated gingerroot
White pepper – about a scant 1/4 tsp max
The Rest
1 medium courgette/zucchini
1-2 sweetcorn on the cob OR about 120 of frozen or canned sweetcorn (in water)
1 tsp oil
6-8 fresh fat scallops – split horizontally or whole (I split mine because they were quite large but ended up stacking them :/)
Lemon, to serve
Any extra green bits, to serve – rocket/arugula or sauteed broccoli stems/florets. I used some over-blown kale flowers from the garden.
Method
1. Mix together the miso butter using 2 tablespoons of wine and set aside in a warm place
2. Spiralize the courgette and transfer to a platter or two plates (I have used this Japanese Benriner spiralizer
3. Heat a skillet over a medium-hot flame and tumble in the corn. Shuffle it around with a spatula occasionally, more so when it starts to brown and pop a bit. Let it get brown in patches and release a popcorn smell. Toss this into the courgetti.
4. Wipe your skillet and heat over a medium-hot flame; add the oil. When hot, add the scallops and heat for two minutes. Flip and daub on some of the miso butter, lifting the scallops a little to let it seep underneath. Cook for a further two minutes, or until cooked through. Carefully lift the scallops and place on the vegetables. Let the sauce continue t cook and caramelise but not burn.
5. Add the remaining wine and allow to really bubble up, stirring to amalgamate. Generously spoon the hot pan sauce over the scallops, allowing it to percolate through the vegetables. Spritz over with lemon or lime and add any fresh or lightly cooked sharp greens that you wish – something sharp is a lovely foil for the sweetness of the scallops and vegetables.
6. Serve immediately with something like a plain focaccia bread. And the rest of the white wine. 🙂
**Remember to follow me on Pinterest and, if you make my miso butter scallops, click on the pin below and leave a photo of your make with a comment telling me what you think, or any awesome changes that you made. Whether on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or of course here on the blog, I love to see what my lovely readers do with my recipes, and I welcome your comments, tweaks and suggestions.**
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Everything looks so good!
Aw, cheers Chantal. Do let me know here or on FB or Instagram if they make it to your table xx
This sounds and looks heavenly and simple. Great!
Thank you so much, Karin. We rarely have scallops so I thought I would treat them simply and summery. 🙂🙂
This is such a brilliant balance of flavours, colours and textures. Outstanding!!!
Food heaven! Got to try this, it looks delicious
That looks amazing! Yum!
What an elegant recipe! I wouldn’t have thought to add miso to scallops as they cook. I like what you said: this is summer eating made fancy, but easy…and easy enough to be a single lady supper. So true. Going on thy list!
Suddenly I’m starving after reading your recipe, thanks! 😀
Love this comment. Thank you 😊😊
That’s sounds fantastic. Love it! 😍
Superb meal! Made it last night with baby zucchini (instead of spiralized) and sugar snap peas. Lovely and quick!
this is simply amazing and rich ingredients, and simply delicious…..
A wonderful summery idea and I love eating barely cooked food so this really appeals. Always interested in using miso and getting that lovely Japanese flavour. So clever and gorgeous photos to help when cooking. Brilliant!