Seared Sea Scallops with Lemongrass Sauce and Basil, Mint and Cilantro Salad

This was so disappointing! I chose to strain the sauce, as I wanted the refined sauce with scallops, not a chunky spaghetti sauce. The lemongrass flavor was lost, and it just tasted like a very light tomato sauce, which was very runny the first time, didn't thicken at all. I used the second half with halibut, and it was a little thicker, but no more flavorful. Other preparations with scallops are much better.

• ndchef

• seattle wa

• 5/4/2015

My wife and I loved this recipe. For the sake of time, I used pre-prepared lemongrass from a tube. I added basil and fresh ginger to the sauce and substituted avocado oil for the scallops and coconut oil for the sauce. Finally, I didn't bother to strain the sauce as it seemed like such a waste of materials. The end result was fantastic and definitely worth repeating.

• dkumpula

• Fort Mill, SC

• 1/31/2013

Correction to my previous review: the first time I made this, I did not add chicken stock, and I gave it rave reviews. So, given that others review that it wasn't flavorful enough, maybe it is the quality/freshness of the lemongrass that makes the difference? Hard to tell when lemongrass is fresh - it looks like dried reeds!

• brendakb

• Scottsdale, AZ

• 12/22/2012

I've made this twice now and both times it became delicious once I boosted it with a little chicken stock - my go-to way to add depth and flavor to any sauce. The Thai basil adds terrific flavor - must use that herb more often. Since this time it was casual Friday at our house, I served it with chicken and couscous and left the sauce chunky (served with warning that there might be a stray lemongrass:). My dining companions loved it!

• brendakb

• Scottsdale, AZ

• 12/22/2012

I have never rated a recipe on this site before. That's how surprisingly good I thought this was. I halved the recipe (except the garlic), and it served two well...with enough sauce leftover to freeze & use again. Also, my chile pepper disappeared somewhere between the store and my house, so used red pepper flakes (added enough spice for this mild eater). Followed others' recommendations to blend the sauce, rather than strain--excellent short-cut!

• Anonymous

• Seattle

• 6/30/2012

Surprisingly, this was delicious! I did not expect the tomato & lemongrass to be good complements, but they are and the balance of the recipe really worked. I did four lemongrass stalks and only one chile pepper as others suggested and it had kick enough for me without overwhelming my husband. Served with Sonoma Cutrer 'Cutrer' which was perfect match.

• brendakb

• Scottsdale, AZ

• 11/22/2011

Not so much :( decent but for the ingredients and process I expected more. No depth of flavor at all. Would not take the time to make again.

• evematz

• Oregon

• 2/3/2011

great recipe, very fresh tasting with bright flavors. I made a few modifications see what you think. I agree lemongrass could probably be omitted or subbed with lemon zest. Instead of forcing sauce through a colander I removed lemongrass and puree the ingredients. I simmered for additional 10 min while preparing scallops. For dressing, I added tsp Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp each minced garlic and shallot, subbed olive oil. To greens added watercress. Served over brown basmati rice, was excellent!

• emoneyless

• Providence

• 1/9/2011

perhaps my lemongrass wasn't fresh enough, but i felt like it was a lot of prep for a sauce that didn't capture the depth of all the ingredients. my sauce was just tomato-y and had the heat from the peppers. the herb salad was super easy to make and popped, though.

• talialynn80

• brooklyn, ny

• 8/10/2010

LOVE this recipe!! 2nd time through made the following changes and I think it is perfect for all tastebuds, including kids: 1. limit lemongrass to 4 stalks cut into 3 inches each 2. limit chilis to 2 and cut them down the long side & remove seeds so anyone who doesn't want to eat the actual chili can opt out....ie kids...we like to leave the sauce chuncky too, minus the lemongrass stalks. 3. Add dried cranberries and pine nuts to salad We served over quinoa. AWESOME!!! We called in fish and rice and even kids ate it!! For the adults, I loved the idea of mixing it all together. I agree with the other comment...totally changes the taste and it is great!

• ktrethewey

• 4/22/2010

Happy to see this is added...I LOVE this recipe..the lemongrass adds such a great flavor to the sauce, which is time consuming to make, but well worth it.

• madconn

• 4/11/2010

I was worried about 2 cups of white wine against a 28oz can of tomatoes. I was also worried about **6** lemon grass stems. However, I did as instructed except for a bit less chilies (our preference). It was delicious. Next time, though, I'll try 4 lemon grass stems; I feel it will be as good and bit less sharp. Also, as others did, I did not bother to use the colander and took the trouble to remove the crushed lemon rass. The resulting texture was worth it. A keeper.

• Anonymous

• Orlando, FL

• 1/25/2010

WoW! This was delish! I brined the scallops before hand and used only 1 japeleno pepper since the kids would be eating it. I also used San Marzano whole tomatoes. This sauce was so delicious I spooned it over leftover scampi pasta this morning. This was part of our Christmas seafood dinner and was by far my favorite (and that included AK king crab legs). Well worth the trip to the Asian market. BTW, I used my meat tenderizer to smash the lemongrass and it worked very well.

• shangtian

• Anchorage, A.K.

• 12/26/2009

Excellent dish bursting with flavors. Will definitely make again but may add a little less chili next time as it was very hot. I think it would make a great starter dish as well as main course. Would also be great to serve as hor d'oeuvre in asian spoons. I agree with other reviewers that the strained solids are very tasty and make a great salsa.

• Anonymous

• Montreal QC

• 8/15/2009

Great recipe!!! Before adding the tomatoes, the sauce flavour made for a great essence (perhaps something to keep in mind for a future marinade?). I only had half the scallops called for, yet I made normal amounts of everything else, so it was very spicymy mom loved it; suggested I pair it with rice vermicelli next time. Tip: a masher & adding wine accelerates the straining process. Also, I am going to save the sauce (plus solids) and use it as a shrimp cocktail sauce.

• sheilafitzgerald

• 纽约

• 7/9/2009