It all started when we received a jar of very high quality scallop XO sauce from a good friend leaving Beijing after finishing her work assignment, and she’ll be proud to know that we put it to good use in this recipe. I’m sure this special jar of scallop XO sauce was quite expensive, as it was pretty much made up of pure dry shredded scallops, which is not typical. Most XO sauces are made with a combination of scallops, shrimp and sometimes ham, and run between $10 to $20 a jar.
I’m not even going to check how much this jar cost but I do know that it’s quite popular in Hong Kong and can be found there in high-end gourmet stores and hotels.’ UPDATE: check out our homemade XO Sauce recipe HERE! We used small bay scallops for this scallop fried rice recipe, but if you can use large sea scallops, then definitely do so! The recipe and directions are virtually the same except for the cooking time on the scallop searing. Check out the Herbed Citrus Grilled Shrimp and Scallops recipe we cooked up in Hawaii last year, which may help you decide if you want to use the larger sea scallops. Whatever you decide, get started on this scallop fried recipe now!
Scallop Fried Rice: Recipe Instructions
It’s generally best to prepare the cooked rice the day before, although you can also do it the same day. The best way to do this is to follow the directions on your rice cooker and use a little bit less water so the rice comes out just slightly drier than usual. Let the rice cool uncovered and use a fork to break it up and fluff it. You can also refrigerate it the night before and when you’re ready to use it the next day, rinse your hands in water and carefully break up the clumps of rice. The water should prevent or minimize the rice sticking to your hands. Heat your wok until it just begins to smoke and add 1 tablespoon oil. Throw in the scallops and sear (without moving them) 60 seconds until they get some good color. Toss them around until they’re just opaque and set aside on a plate.
Beat the eggs with Shaoxing wine and salt and set aside. Wash and dry your wok and heat it over low heat, with 2 tablespoons oil. Add the garlic and spread it around evenly. Let the garlic fry very slowly until they just turn golden. If it goes brown, it’s already burned and bitter, so keep a constant watch on it! It should take about 5 minutes for the garlic to get crispy and just start to turn light golden. When they are ready, transfer the crispy garlic to a paper towel to drain and set aside.
Leave the infused oil from the garlic in the wok, and raise the heat to medium high. Add the diced onions and stir-fry until translucent.
Add in the rice to the onion mixture, and then pour the egg mixture evenly over all the rice. Immediately begin stirring constantly in a scoop and lift motion. This will leave all your rice coated in a thin layer of scrambled egg.
After about 90 seconds of stirring, mix in the XO sauce.
Season with salt and ground white pepper to taste, and then add in the scallops and scallion. Toss for 30 seconds and plate with the fried garlic sprinkled over the top!
You serve this scallop fried rice as a meal!
