Spicy Seared Scallop Sushi Bowls
These spicy seared scallop sushi bowls are loaded with tender sea scallops, topped with a little bit of Japanese mayo and seared to perfection! Finish them off with a little bit of chili crisp and your favorite extras on the side. This is prepared similar to poke, but the bowl uses seasoned sushi rice!
Equipment
Ingredients
For Sushi Rice:
- 1 ½ cups medium grain sushi rice
- 1 ¾ cups warm water
- 6 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar (This should have no calories. If it has calories, the vinegar is already seasoned with sugar and salt.)
- 2 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon table salt
For Seared Scallops:
- 8 sushi quality sea scallops about 0.4-0.5 lbs
- ~2 teaspoon Japanese mayo such as Kewpie brand
- ~1 tablespoon chili crisp for topping
To Finish Bowl:
- ½ medium sized ripe avocado optional
- ~¼ cup thinly sliced red onion optional
- ~¼ daikon sprouts optional
- other veggies such as carrots, onion, corn, nori, bean sprouts, etc optional
Instructions
For Sushi Rice:
- Please click here to see my detailed guide to sushi rice if this is your first time preparing it. The rice takes about 50 minutes to prepare, but has a lot of hands-off time. The scallops and veggies for this meal can be prepared as the rice cooks. Optionally, you can substitute plain white rice to make this recipe as a poke bowl instead.
- Place the rice in a large pot (that has a lid). Rinse and drain the rice until the water runs clear, at least 3 times (rinse the rice even if the bag says it's "prewashed"). Drain as much water as possible.
- Add 1 ¾ cup lukewarm water to the pot, close with the lid, and place on the stove top.
- Heat over medium-high heat until the water begins to boil, once boiling cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, then reduce heat to very-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- After simmering, remove from heat and let the pot stand undisturbed for another 15 minutes.
- Scoop the rice into a large non-metallic bowl. Dust with sugar and salt, then pour over the rice vinegar. Using a rice spatula or non-stick spatula mix everything together and break up all the clumps of rice. Mix until every grain of rice is separated and coated in vinegar, the sugar and salt should dissolve completely. Don't worry if the rice seems too wet at this point, that will go away as it cools.
- Allow the rice to cool uncovered, mixing occasionally, until it reaches room temp (about 15 minutes). You can speed this process along by fanning the rice if desired. The rice should be slightly sticky once it's cooled.
For Veggies:
- Peel the red onion and cut it in half, then slice as thin as possible until you have about ¼ of a cup.
- Clip daikon sprouts from their base and thoroughly rinse.
- Prepare the avocado last, as it will brown if exposed to air for too long. Peel and thinly slice the ½ avocado as desired. I use the method shown in this guide, in the "avocado topping" section.
For Scallops:
- Rinse the scallops thoroughly, then pat dry with paper towels.
- Using a very sharp knife, remove the small tough side muscle from the edge of each scallop. Turn the scallop on its side and cut it into either halves or thirds, creating 2-3 thin disks (I do thirds, this makes 12 pieces per bowl). Please see the accompanying video if needed.
- The rest of the scallop prep will take place in the bowl.
For Finished Bowl:
- Divide the sushi rice evenly into the serving dishes, creating a wide, flat base.
- Arrange the scallops in the bowl, so they take up about half of the surface and are slightly overlapping, as pictured. Top each piece with a small dot of Japanese mayo. (I really recommend including the mayo, it has a very interesting flavor after searing, but you only need a little bit)
- Use a culinary torch to sear the scallops. Make sure to get the mayo fully melted and caramelized on each scallop. Please make sure you are using a bowl that is suitable for this (not plastic!), and take care as the bowl may get very hot just after torching.
- Top the seared scallops with chili crisp. Finish the bowl by topping with the veggies as desired, then serve immediately with a spoon and chopsticks.
Notes
If you're new to making sushi at home, please see my Sourcing Fish for Sushi at Home guide if you need help finding fish that is appropriate to use in this recipe.
Customize this bowl to your liking by adjusting the serving of tuna or substituting your favorite veggies.
I serve this dish as two very large dinner portions (as pictured), but it could easily be split into 3-4 smaller portions. If desired, to serve four, you could prepare a double batch of rice, serve a smaller portion of the fish, and supplement with extra veggies.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 XL BowlCalories: 900kcal
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