Scallop Salad with Sauvignon Blanc Pairing

Seared Scallop Salad & Sauvignon Blanc

Seared Scallop salad with watermelon, fresh mint, roasted peanuts and sweet Asian lime dressing.
Nepenthe Altitude Sauvignon Blanc with the ingredients for a seared scallop salad
Serves: 2
Total Cooking Time: 30mins to make

 

Ingredients;

  • 10 scallops
  • 1 knob of unsalted butter
  • 1 cup of watermelon – sliced into cubes
  • 1 handful fresh mint leaves,
  • 1 cup of bean sprouts
  • 1/3 red onions, finely sliced
  • 1/2 large red chilli, sliced finely diagonally
  • 1 tsp black sesame seeds
  • ¾ cup of roasted peanuts, crushed

 

 

For the dressing;

  • 1 lime, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tbs rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbs fish sauce
  • 2 tbs sesame oil
  • 1 tsp brown sugar or palm sugar
Scallop salad image B

Method;

  1. Firstly, make your salad dressing. Mix all ingredients and set aside.
  2. Now make up your salad, mix cubed watermelon, roughly chopped fresh mint, bean sprouts, sliced red onion, sliced red chilli, and black sesame seeds. Then pour over the salad dressing and coast well. Serve up onto plates, ready for the seared scallops.
  3. Finally, pat your scallops dry and dust both sides with flour and season with salt and pepper. Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in some olive oil and the knob of butter, cook the first side without moving for 2 mins – then turn over and sear for another 2-3mins. Making sure they are beautifully browned.
  4. Serve the cooked scallops over the Asian salad and finished with a slice more slices of chilli, crushed peanuts, and a final squeeze of lime.
 
Like cooking with music? Try our Spotify playlist curated especially for this dish: https://open.spotify.com/NepentheKitchenSessions/SauvignonBlanc

 

Why it works;

The passionfruit and gooseberry flavours of this wine pair beautifully with tropical fruits like watermelon (could be swapped out for melon/pineapple too). The long zesty finish is complemented by the savoury sweet flavours from the Asian lime dressing.

This elegant Sauvignon Blanc also loves bursts of umami flavour, so the meaty scallops, roasted peanuts and fish sauce in the dressing work well to add depth to the dish and complement each other nicely. A chilled glass of our 91 Points Nepenthe Altitude Sauvignon Blanc to accompany this juicy seafood salad will make for a very satisfying combination on a sunny day eating al fresco style!