Wokked Scallops

Aron · June 2003

Just did some huge scallops on the egg today using a grill wok. Got the egg up to as high a temp as I could, and just threw them on and stirred for a few minutes until they looked done. No more than 5 minutes (I didn't really keep track, but it wasn't long at all).
As the egg was heating up, I melted some butter, and added garlic and fresh dill to marinate the scallops in for about 15 minutes as the egg went to beyond 750.
Absolutely incredible. I'd have taken a picture, but they were gone too quickly. I couldn't stop eating them (although there really weren't that many--only half a pound). Next time I'll make more. These were definitely the best scallops I've ever eaten, and within the top 3 things I've ever egged. Plus it was super easy and quick.
--Aron

mad max beyond eggdome · June 2003

Aron,
those sound excellent... one question, and this is in light of all the recent forum postings regardng butter at high temps. . .did you use clarified butter? or just regular butter melted?. . .and if just regular butter, did you get any nasty taste from burning butter?. .. was you wok one of those deals with all the holes? or a regular wok?. . .[p]i'm not trying to 'start' something, i'm just really curious. . .

Mike in MN · June 2003

Aron,
Sounds Great!! Quick, EZ, and effective! I love a recipe that works! The only thing missing are leftovers![p]Mike in MN

Aron · June 2003

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]The wok was one of those with holes. I honestly have no idea what clarified butter is, so I figure I didn't use that. The butter in my house is a brand called Brummel and Brown, so it's not quite regular butter, since it's made partially with yogurt, but I have no idea about it's high temperature properties. It never really entered my mind. There was no nasty taste at all to these scallops--just deliciousness (not a word, but it adequately describes them). I did get a little flare-up when I first put them on and when I stirred the around a little bit, including some fire directly in the wok itself, but it didn't seem to impart any bad taste.
--Aron

mad max beyond eggdome · June 2003

Aron,
thanks, i know brommwell and brown, it is my daughter's favorite margorine. . . not that i expected you to get nasty tastes but if you go through some of the forum from the last week or so, you'll see some long discussions of the merits of using clarified butter (basically butter that has been separated from its milk proteins) at high temps on the grill. . .you might find it interesting, given your recent success with the scallops. . . this is one i will definitely give a try. ..[p]thanks[p]max

Aron · June 2003

mad max beyond eggdome,
thanks--now I'll check out the archives.
--Aron

Unknown · June 2003

Aron,
I figured out you must be using a wok with holes in it, (aka grill wok). If using a regular wok you might as well wok it indoors on your stovetop! Your recipe shouldn’t need clarified butter since the scallops were just marinated in the butter instead of the butter heating up in a hot pan. Besides, clarifying your Brummel and Brown butter would probably remove all traces of the yogurt.[p]I will definitely wok my scallops on my Primo Kamado soon. Thanks for the suggestion.[p]Clarified Butter:
1 lb butter -- melted
1 cup oil - Olive or Cottonseed
1. Melt butter in a plastic container and refrigerate covered.
2. When the yellow fat has solidified, pop it off and scrape any residue off the bottom.
This yellow fat, 80% of the butter, is clarified butter. You can use it by itself, but it is improved by the addition of some oil.
3. Melt the clarified butter and add a cup of oil for each original lb of butter. Store in a covered container, as it picks up odors.
> Olive oil is best for flavor. Cottonseed oil is best for high temperatures in sauteeing. At about 400 degrees F the yellow color in the clarified butter breaks down and the butter becomes clear. This is when it is best to add food to be sauteed.
> Regular butter burns because of the milk solids in the whey of butter. You can add the whey that is not used in making clarified butter to white sauces.

Aron · June 2003

Hickory~Nut,
Thanks for the interesting tip. Like you said, I won't do it with Brummel and Brown, but I'd try it with regular butter. I didn't realize it was something to make at home, and just figured it was something to buy at gourmet shops. Sounds like a fun experiment.
--Aron

Wokked Scallops

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