Pan-fried Scallops with Red Plum & Chili

yeah, there’s no way to make scallops look attractive – pale, fleshy things that they are

When I was little I used to inhale fish at a fearsome rate, but now that I’m older and wiser I’m a bit more wary about what we eat from the ocean.

Tales of oil pollution, radiation, mercury, GM salmon and the bucketload of pharmaceuticals they feed farmed fish make me want to quickly skip by the fish counter and head straight for the organic meats.

But fish contain a bundle of important nutrients (I’m looking at you omega 3s!) and in cutting them out completely, neither hubs or myself are getting a balanced diet.

spicy chili, sweet plum – deliciousness awaits!

The solution? Pick your fish carefully. Stay away from farmed where possible and go for organic.

Sadly this isn’t always realistic so sometimes, just to get something fishy into our bellies, I opt for scallops – a good choice because farmed scallops aren’t treated that differently from wild scallops.

Plus shellfish are very high in a plethora of vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, zinc, selenium and B12.

I *heart* my mini cast iron frying pan

They’re expensive but hey, it was Canada Day when I made these and that counts as a special occasion in our half-Canadian household.

Pan-fried Scallops with Red Plum & Chili (serves 2)

*adapted from James Tanner

• 6 large scallops
• 1 small red plum
• 1 small, green chili, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp butter

1. Remove the stone from the plum and chop into small slivers.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the plum and chili. Gently saute for 2 minutes until the fruit starts to break down.
3. Pat the scallops dry (if they are moist, they won’t sear as well) and season well.
4. Turn up the heat under the frying pan and add the scallops. Fry for a minute on each side before spooning from the pan and drizzling with the chili and plum jam. Serve immediately.

Like this? You might also like:

• Seared scallop with Bacon Mustard Sauce
• Pineapple & Lime Scallops
• Seared Swordfish Steaks with Lemon Cashew Crust
• Will Seafood Ever Be Safe?

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