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Scallops are incredibly delicious, and it is one of the most popular seafood options that are affordable and tasty. The taste of scallops can be sweet and salty, and some people describe the taste as nutty or buttery. They are always an excellent choice for a dinner dish. However, the one thing to remember about scallops is that they are not a hearty food. Therefore, they will not be satisfying on their own. The good news is that you can pair your scallops meal with most other foods that include vegetables, pasta, mashed potatoes, steak, poultry, and the list goes on.
However, you also want to keep in mind that you do not wish your scallops eaten with foods that feature intense flavors, or else you won’t appreciate them. You want to enjoy your scallops with other foods that will not overshadow their delicious taste. Let’s go over ideal side dishes that you can serve with scallops to appreciate all of the flavors.
Scallops And Grilled Vegetables
If you are looking to eat a light dinner or a lunch, then one great option is to eat a meal consisting of scallops and grilled vegetables. As you know, scallops cook quickly, which is why you will want to chop thick pieces of vegetables about a half-hour before you begin cooking the scallops. You can cut up any vegetable, whether it is eggplant, asparagus, red peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, or carrots.
You will want to use olive oil, herbs such as oregano or basil, and a pinch of salt when you grill the vegetables. You can grill your vegetables on the barbeque or in the oven. You can also grill your vegetables along with the scallops. That will be a tasty meal.
Add Steak To That
You cannot go wrong with steak and scallops, whether you add the grilled vegetables or not for a dish. You will want to add a pinch of salt and pepper to both and perhaps a bit of Cajun flavor to the steak. However, you only would add a little for a twist. Don’t add too much, or else that will overshadow the taste of the scallops.
Depending on how you like your steak, you will want to begin cooking your steak before you fry or grill your scallops. You want both to be ready simultaneously. The rule of thumb is when your steak only needs five more minutes of cooking, that is when you can begin to cook the scallops. You can add small potatoes or mashed potatoes if you want as well.
Scallops With Leeks, Spinach, And Chard
If you prefer greens to grilled vegetables, then you can enjoy scallops with lightly fried chard, spinach, and leeks. You will need two pans to prepare the greens and the scallops as you cannot prepare scallops and greens in the same pan. Take your spinach, leeks, and chard and begin preparing them. Cut the leeks in thin slices as you place them in the pan, and put the other greens into the pan.
Drizzle some olive oil, and sprinkle some salt and pepper into the pan. Begin frying the greens on a low level and at the same time, begin frying the scallops in the other pan (or you can grill your scallops). Keep in mind that however you prepare your scallops, they cook fast, and the greens will fry quickly too. The combination of greens and scallops is a delicious one.
Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
You see bacon-wrapped scallops served at high-end restaurants. You can also make your own in your kitchen. The idea is to put a strip of bacon over the scallops and pin them using a toothpick. That means you will need to get the matching number of bacon strips to the number of scallops in addition to the matching number of toothpicks. In other words, if you want to have five bacon-wrapped scallops, then you need five slices of bacon to wrap each scallop individually. You need five toothpicks to secure them.
Place the bacon-wrapped scallops in the broiler pan and drizzle some olive oil by sprinkling a tiny amount of salt and pepper. You can use a baking pan by covering foil on it if you don’t have a broiler. You can place it on the broiling setting in your oven instead. It will take about ten to 15 minutes to broil and ensure you turn them in between so you brown both sides.
Lemon-Flavored Linguini And Scallops
Pasta is a great side dish for a scallop dinner. However, you never want to use tomato or marinara sauces, or else that will overshadow the scallop’s flavor. The best pasta is one with some light but delicious flavoring. That means the ideal pasta ‘sauce’ will compose olive oil, drops of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Therefore, cook up the pasta, toss the noodles into a frying pan where you add some olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and turn the temperature to low heat. Mix the noodles well with the oil and other flavors.
Take another pan and pan sear your scallops at the same time. Once you complete cooking both, mix the pasta with the scallops together, and place them on a plate. You can add grilled vegetables mentioned at the beginning of the article too. That will make a delicious meal for the family or your dinner date.
Conclusion
There are many side dishes that you can serve with scallops. The article that lists the best options is just a few of many others you can try. The main thing to remember is that even though scallops are incredibly delicious, they are not hearty. Therefore, you will want to add a side dish that will not overshadow the taste of the scallops. That is why you don’t want to add anything too spicy or use tomato sauce of any kind if you are going to create a scallop dish. Whichever side dish you pair with scallops, I hope you enjoy it and write about your dining experience.