sauteed scallops over soba noodles

These aren’t the steps I followed the other night when I sauteed some scallops and served them over soba noodles.  But they are the steps I SHOULD have followed.  Next time I’m in the mood for some scallops, this is how I’m going to make them.

Todd’s Sauteed Scallops and Soba

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

• 6 fresh sea scallops – I got some good ones from Whole Foods.  Don’t bother with the ones from King Soopers.  If they smell fishy, don’t buy them.
• miso paste – I use the stuff that comes in a squeezable bottle for quickly making miso soup
• 2 limes
• soba noodles – originally my plan was to use udon noodles, but all we had was soba
• 1 small yellow squash
• 1 roma tomato
• 3 to 5 fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped onion – I used yellow, but you could use a white onion instead
• soy sauce, preferably tamari
• 4 ounces of snow peas, washed and “de-veined”
• 2 cups Not-Beef veggie broth – this stuff is the best veggie broth I’ve ever had
• cooking oil
• pepper

Instructions:

This dish has four layers to it.  From the top down, there’s going to be a miso lime sauce, then the scallops, then the snow peas, and finally a mixture of noodles and veggies.

Let’s make the miso lime sauce first.  In a small nonstick pan, squeeze the juice from the limes and add about one tablespoon of miso paste.  Grind some black pepper into it, and then add two tablespoons of the veggie broth.  You could add a little sesame oil if you want, or some sriracha.  Bring this to a boil over medium heat, reducing it down to the consistency of gravy.  Now set this aside.

Boil up some soba noodles.  As always, be sure not to overcook them.  Set aside enough noodles for two people.  The noodles are going to be the base of this dish, so don’t skimp.  Now, make the veggie broth.  Soak the noodles in the broth until it’s time to add the veggies.

Dice the tomato, the onion, the squash, and the mushrooms.  Saute these in a really hot pan with a little oil.  Add a teaspoon or so of soy sauce, and a tablespoon of veggie broth, and stir it all until the veggies soften.  Now, toss in the soba noodles and stir a little more.  Take it all off the heat and cover so it doesn’t get cold.

Heat up two more pans, one for sauteeing the scallops and one for stir frying the snow peas.  Put a tiny bit of oil in each pan.  You want these to be done at the same time, so start the scallops first.  Let them cook on one side for a few minutes and then sprinkle some soy sauce on the top.  When the bottoms look good and brown, turn them over so the other side sautees.

(I may try cooking these on the Weber grill over charcoal next time, instead of indoors on the stove.  We’ll see…)

Meanwhile, put the snow peas in their own sautee pan and stir fry rapidly.  Be careful not to overcook them, because they should be crisp when served.  If all goes well, the snow peas and scallops are done at the same time.

Put the veggie/noodle mixture in a nice bed on the plate.  Then, top it with snow peas.  Top those with the scallops.  And then drizzle the miso lime reduction over the top of the scallops.

Serve al fresco with fork and knife.