Infuse scallops with a bright, citrusy hint of tea!
- 1 pound sea scallops
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon green tea leaves
- 3 teaspoons shoyu
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Cooked Udon or Soba noodles
Heat the oil to just below the smoking point, add the garlic, and stir briefly.
Add the scallops and sear for two minutes on each side, turning once to brown evenly. Remove the scallops to a small covered bowl to keep them warm while making the sauce.
Deglaze the pan with the orange juice, stirring with a wooden spoon to dislodge any browned bits of scallop that may have adhered to the pan. Add the tea leaves and stir them around for half a minute or so in the juice. Add the shoyu, honey, and any liquid from the scallops that has collected in the bowl.
Now turn the flame down very low, let the sauce thicken slightly, then pour it through a fine sieve to remove the tea leaves, and return it to the pan. Taste the sauce to correct the seasoning, adding a touch more shoyu, or honey if necessary. Coat the scallops with the sauce and serve them in a nest of noodles that you have cooked in a mild vegetable stock of radish or daikon (including the leaves), onions, carrots, and leeks. Garnish with minced cilantro and/or finely-sliced spring onions and mint. 