Try out these Vietnamese scallops (sò điệp nướng mỡ hành) on the shell with fish sauce, butter, salted peanuts and also scallions!!
If you are looking for an inspiring appetizer recipe for a summer barbecue party, then this is the one you want to try out.
My Vietnamese scallops recipe.
Sò điệp nướng mỡ hành.
How could I possibly know that for sure?
Well I asked a Vietnamese American friend of mine, and he said that it was indeed right name!
So where and how did I come up with this scallop recipe idea?
Easy Vietnamese Scallops with Peanuts & Scallions
Well the answer to that question takes us straight to the seaside village of Mũi Né in Southeast Vietnam a couple of years ago.
It is a stretch of land right along the coast in the south side of Vietnam. This place is an eclectic mixture of backpackers hostels, Chinese pharmacies, sea view condos and also modern and posh all inclusive hotels and resorts.
Let me be very honest with you here.
We didn’t feel quite at home right away there when we arrived after 3 weeks of Saigon and Mekong delta visits. Because all we saw was too much tourist bling bling, restaurants and with menus in Russian only and mediocre food.
No local vibe whatsoever.
Mũi Né
Just a place to stay for the night and leave the next day.
Or did we miss something here?
We felt way better at ease in Saigon.
But here we were: we booked 10 days at the Melon resort, the newest hotel in town at that time. The first couple of lunches and dinner we had in town were not worthy of mentioning. Frozen fish, lukewarm beer, rude and lazy staff.
We were pretty sick of this seaside place after just a couple of days.
But then we rented a motorbike and decided to drive a little further to see if anything else was going on in the neighborhood.
Quan an Bo Kè 177
And yes, there was.
Because along the beach were these little outside restaurants with concrete tables and benches everywhere. Turns out that these only open about 6pm for dinner. We went to the same place for dinner during the rest of our stay.
Quan an Bo Kè 177 was the name of the place.
There is a variety of fresh live seafood in plastic containers with Vietnamese scallops, eels, crabs, seafood, fresh fish, sting ray…
Just point out what you like and they will bring it to you, perfectly cooked.
Fresh Vietnamese Scallops
The Vietnamese scallops were my favorite.
They were so tiny and so full of flavor! Grilled on the bbq, sprinkled with lard, spring onion, fish sauce and peanuts.
Epic.
Truly delicious.
And the amounts are dazzling.
I guess we paid about 3 bucks for 20 scallops… Jaw dropping. A flavor memory I cherish. Here is a picture of how they looked.
I am sorry but my food photography back in those days sucked plus it was pitch black outside every night.
Vietnamese BBQ Recipe
I don’t have a barbecue at home.
So I had to find another way to prepare them.
Decided to grill the scallops on their shell in a large stove top pan. I even prepared a version of the dish under a grill, using mussels.
Try out these Vietnamese scallops (or sò điệp nướng mỡ hành) on the shell with fish sauce, butter, salted peanuts and scallions!!
And let me know how it was…
You are in for a real treat.
Enjoy!
Easy Vietnamese Scallops Recipe with Peanut & Scallions
- 8 small fresh scallops with shells
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter or lard
- 2 tbsp salted peanuts crushed
- 2 tbsp fresh chives or scallions, chopped
- fish sauce
- garlic powder
- pepper
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Open up the scallops if that hasn’t been done yet. Keep the shell with the scallop attached to it. If you don’t like the red roe, cut it off and discard. Rinse the shells with the scallops well to remove any sand. Then place the shells in a medium non-stick pan.
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Place the pan over high heat. Divide the lard or unsalted butter over the scallops.
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Let the butter or lard melt away. Sprinkle with the chopped chives or scallions. Add a drop of fish sauce to each of the scallops.
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Then sprinkle each scallop with a tiny pinch of garlic powder and the crushed salted peanuts. Season with freshly ground black pepper too.
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Leave the scallops on the heat for another minute. Then carefully remove them and place them on a serving dish. Serve immediately.
