A Spicy Scallop Appetizer » Sybaritica

This Spicy Scallop Appetizer jazzes up the usual plain-old, battered scallops with the addition of green and red chili to the coating mix.

Back when I was a kid growing up in Maritime Canada, Clams and Chips were nearly as popular is Fish and Chips and, if you were in a restaurant that served both of these, it was generally a safe bet that you could get Scallops and Chips as well.

Scallops and Chips generally used the larger variety usually of scallop referred to as ‘Sea Scallops’, and even a half-dozen of these, along with chips and coleslaw, made for a very filling meal. For this appetizer version, I am using the smaller Bay Scallops, and I have jazzed up the usual plain batter coating …

The Jazzed-up Batter Mix

The coating mix is a standard egg batter with finely minced fresh green chili, dried red chili flakes, and a little garlic salt. Chilling the mix in the refrigerator makes it a little easier to work with later.

Coating the Scallops

When you are ready to cook, heat your deep-fry oil to medium and take your batter out of the fridge. I find it easiest to use a skewer to dip each scallop into the batter before sliding them individually into the oil.

NOTE: Some recipes call for main ingredients to be dusted with flour before coating with batter. If you chill the batter and are deep-frying small items immediately after coating them you can generally skip this step.

Deep-frying Scallops a few at a time

You don’t want to overcrowd your oil as the scallops will stick together, so it is best to fry just a few at a time. As they become golden, remove to paper towels to drain and skim away the ‘bits’ that accumulate.

Giving the Scallops a final Deep-fry

Once all the scallops have been fried, you can add them all back into the oil for a further ‘crisping’. Once done, serve hot along with the traditional Tartar sauce, or whatever condiment you fancy…

Print Recipe This Spicy Scallop Appetizer jazzes up the usual plain-old, boring battered scallops with the addition of green and red chili to the coating mix.

  • 12-18 Bay Scallops
  • ½ Cup Flour
  • 1 Egg
  • ¼ Cup Green Chili finely minced
  • 1 Tbsp. Dried Red Chili Flakes
  • 1 tsp. Garlic Salt
  • Beat the egg with the flour and add just enough water to make a thick batter, then stir in both sorts of chili and the garlic salt. Place the mix in the refrigerator to chill.
  • Heat deep-fry oil to medium hot, coat the scallops with batter, and, working in small batches to avoid sticking, deep-fry them until nicely golden.
  • Do a second fry of all the scallops together for a half-minute or so, then drain well on paper towels.
  • Serve, garnished as you like, with Tartar Sauce, or your dipping condiment of choice.