Queen scallops in a Chinese style broth

We often go to a Chinese place, near where we live, called the noodle bar. Huge steaming hot bowls of delicious food come flying out of the kitchen at an alarming rate and the smells and the busy, buzzing atmosphere add to the experience. I try to have something different every time as I don't want to feel I'm missing out on something but I do regularly have a bowl of noodles in broth with whatever I fancied that day heaped on top. I have tried to replicate something similar here and although it isn't exactly authentic it tasted pretty good. 

Scallops come courtesy of a nice man from the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man queenie scallop festival is running from the 29th June to the 5th July this year so book your seat!

Ingredients:

• 30 queenie scallops or 10 king scallops


• 500ml chicken or vegetable stock


• star anise


• 2 spring onions roughly chopped


• thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into thin batons


• clove of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced


• small deseeded chilli, thinly sliced


• two medium sized pak choi, roughly chopped


• coriander to garnish


• 150g udon or medium rice noodles


• sesame oil


• vegetable oil

Warm the stock in a pan with the star anise in it to infuse. Put on a pan of water to boil, then add the noodles, take off the heat and let the noodles cook in the hot water for the time indicated on the packet. Heat a wok on a very high heat then add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. The pan should be smoking hot ( but do be careful!). Have everything chopped and lined up beside the pan at this point as it doesn't take long to cook in the high heat.  Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir fry for about 30 seconds then add the scallops and cook for a further minute. Add the pak choi, spring onions and the cooked noodles and fry for another thirty seconds to a minute and then add about three tsps of sesame oil. Take off the heat, ladle in the stock (having removed the star anise) and serve immediately, in bowls, with a sprig of coriander on top. 

Comments

[Jamesq]

That looks delicious. I've just started to get into Chinese soups and absolutely loving noodle soups. Wish I'd tried them years ago now. I haven't ventured to making a Chinese soup yet but I really like the look of your recipe. I've not used star anise before either so a good excuse to give it a go.

I'm helping out for this year's Queenie Festival so fingers crossed for plenty of nice dishes like this. Might have to get the old apron out myself!!

[Rachel@fairycakeheaven]

ooo looks gorgeous, all fresh and crunchy!! YUM!

[aforkfulofspaghetti]

What a pretty meal!

Which reminds me - must get the queenie scallops out of the freezer!