This Chinese New Year recipe combines salty, savory noodles stir-fried with succulent scallops. It’s a delicious way to celebrate the year of the rat.
For the noodles:
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh basil
8 ounces dried squid ink vermicelli, soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and very finely minced
½ pound oyster mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 small carrot, peeled and julienned
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
For the scallops:
16 large sea scallops
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chili oil
Kosher salt to taste
Make the noodles: In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, sugar, and minced basil. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a full rolling boil over high heat. Drain the pasta, then add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook for only 1 minute. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Allow to drain well.
In a large wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, red pepper, and carrot. Cook, stirring often until you can smell the garlic and the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the drained pasta. Toss to coat with the oil and vegetables. Pour in the sauce, toss to coat, and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, prep the scallops. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt.
In a large skillet over high heat, add the vegetable oil and chili oil.
Add the scallops and cook, without moving, until you can easily turn the scallop over. If you have to force it to lift, allow it to cook more. This should take at least 3 minutes. Turn and allow the other side to brown fully, about 3 more minutes.
To serve, divide the pasta among 4 bowls. Top each bowl with 4 scallops and garnish each bowl with basil leaves. Serve immediately.
Keywords: Chinese New Year recipe, pasta recipe, seafood recipe, scallops, Chinese