You might think of banquet and celebration foods as rich and heavy, but this auspicious Asparagus and Scallops Stir-fry dish is light and refreshing! The sauce is light and subtle, so the sweetness of the scallops and freshness of the asparagus can really shine. Follow my dad’s recipe below so you can bring this to your table!
Check out a quick story summary of our recipe!
Main Ingredients
Blanching
Sauce
Miscellaneous Ingredients
If you have access to fresh seafood, great! Select firm scallops that aren’t dry or discolored. For the rest of us, frozen scallops are perfectly acceptable, since seafood is already flash-frozen at sea.
If you’re looking for sustainable seafood options, make sure to reference the “Seafood Watch” website from Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Although Cantonese cuisine loves dried scallops, we're looking for the more typical fresh, white type in the seafood section or freezer area. Save your intensely flavored dried scallops for recipes like Dried Scallop and Chicken Soup and Dried Scallop & Egg White Fried Rice.
Like other banquet dishes, you can really up the presentation factor when serving this dish. Here are some ways that we beautify Asparagus & Scallops Stir-fry:
Bring these skills to other dishes that you cook! Or, skip these steps when appearance is less of a priority and you just want to throw together a tasty dish.
Place the scallops (8 oz) in a bowl. Add cooking wine (1 tbsp), which will help to remove fishiness. Add hot, boiling water (1 cup) to the scallopsand let them soak. The heat will start to gently cook the scallops and help them firm up, reducing shrinkage later on when we stir-fry them.
Soak the asparagus (10 oz) in cold water to clean them. Leave the scallops and asparagus on the side while preparing the rest of ingredients.
Cut the ginger (0.25 oz) into slices. Stack up the slices, then cut into quarters to create triangular pieces.
Peel the garlic (2 clove). Cut and discard the hard woody ends. Cut into thin slices.
Cut the onion (2 oz) into triangular, bite-sized chunks.
Carefully cut triangular notches into the sides of the carrot (1 oz). Then slice into circles; the notches will result in flower-shaped slices!
Remove the asparagus from the water. Snap (or cut) off the tough, fibrous ends. Optionally, use a vegetable peeler to peel the ends where the peel may be tough.
Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces at a 45-degree angle.
Remove the scallops from the bowl of water. Gently but firmly squeeze out excess water from the scallops. Place the scallops on a paper towel to dry. Set them aside.
Prepare the sauce by combining oyster sauce (1 tbsp), chicken bouillon powder (1 tsp), cornstarch (2 tsp), salt (0.50 tsp), sugar, and water in a separate bowl.
Boil a pot of water on high heat. Add salt (1 tsp) and oil (1 tsp) (Daddy Lau’s secrets to glossy, green blanched vegetables!)
Gently add asparagus into the pot and cook for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of cold water.
Add the sliced carrots to the pot as well, and cook for 20-25 seconds, until all the vegetables are just about tender. Transfer them all into the bowl of cold water to shock them and stop the cooking process.
Heat a wok on high heat. Add oil (2 tbsp) and swirl it around the wok to coat.
Add the ginger and garlic, and cook until aromatic, or around 15 seconds.
Add scallops and lower the heat to medium, so they won’t burn. Let the scallops sear undisturbed until the bottom is golden brown, or 45-60 seconds. Flip them over to sear the other side until golden brown, or 30-40 seconds.
Add the red onions, and stir-fry everything together for about 30 seconds, until the onions begin to soften.
Turn the heat to high, then add the blanched vegetables. Stir and cook everything for 30-50 seconds, so the flavors of the ingredients have time to combine, but nothing overcooks.
Give your bowl of pre-mixed sauce a quick mix to recombine anything that may have settled. Gradually pour the sauce into the wok while stirring, monitoring the amount and thickness of the dish; you may not want to use all of the sauce. If the sauce gets too thick, thin out the consistency by diluting it with small amounts of water. My dad added an extra tbsp of water.
Turn the heat to low, then drizzle in sesame oil (1 tsp) and oil (1 tsp) for extra aroma and gloss. Stir to combine, then turn the heat off and plate. Enjoy!
Main Ingredients
Blanching
Sauce
Miscellaneous Ingredients
Place the scallops (8 oz) in a bowl. Add cooking wine (1 tbsp), which will help to remove fishiness. Add hot, boiling water (1 cup) to the scallops and let them soak.
Soak the asparagus (10 oz) in cold water to clean them. Leave the scallops and asparagus on the side while preparing the rest of ingredients.
Cut the ginger (0.25 oz) into slices. Stack up the slices, then cut into quarters to create triangular pieces.
Peel the garlic (2 clove). Cut and discard the hard woody ends. Cut into thin slices.
Cut the onion (2 oz) into triangular, bite-sized chunks.
Carefully cut triangular notches into the sides of the carrot (1 oz). Then slice into circles.
Remove the asparagus from the water. Snap (or cut) off the tough, fibrous ends. Optionally, use a vegetable peeler to peel the ends where the peel may be tough.
Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces at a 45-degree angle.
Remove the scallops from the bowl of water. Gently but firmly squeeze out excess water from the scallops. Place the scallops on a paper towel to dry. Set them aside.
Prepare the sauce by combining oyster sauce (1 tbsp), chicken bouillon powder (1 tsp), cornstarch (2 tsp), salt (0.50 tsp), sugar, and water in a separate bowl.
Boil a pot of water on high heat. Add salt (1 tsp) and oil (1 tsp).
Gently add asparagus into the pot and cook for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of cold water.
Add the sliced carrots to the pot as well, and cook for 20-25 seconds, until all the vegetables are just about tender. Transfer them all into the bowl of cold water to shock them.
Heat a wok on high heat. Add oil (2 tbsp) and swirl it around the wok to coat.
Add the ginger and garlic, and cook until aromatic, or around 15 seconds.
Add scallops and lower the heat to medium, so they won’t burn. Let the scallops sear undisturbed until the bottom is golden brown, or 45-60 seconds. Flip them over to sear the other side until golden brown, or 30-40 seconds.
Add the red onions, and stir-fry everything together for about 30 seconds, until the onions begin to soften.
Turn the heat to high, then add the blanched vegetables. Stir and cook everything for 30-50 seconds.
Give your bowl of pre-mixed sauce a quick mix. Gradually pour the sauce into the wok while stirring, monitoring the amount and thickness of the dish; you may not want to use all of the sauce.
If the sauce gets too thick, thin out the consistency by diluting it with small amounts of water.
Turn the heat to low, then drizzle in sesame oil (1 tsp) and oil (1 tsp) for extra aroma and gloss. Stir to combine, then turn the heat off and plate. Enjoy!
We have many, many happy memories of enjoying this dish growing up.
Now, hopefully, you can create your own memories with this dish with your loved ones.
Also, I cordially invite you to eat with us and learn more about the dish, Chinese culture, and my family.
Cheers, and thanks for cooking with us!
Feel free to comment below if you have any questions about the recipe.
