Name: Chinese Scallops and Asparagus
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 250g (9 oz.) scallops; 1 tsp salt; 250g (9 oz.) fresh asparagus, cut at an angle into 5cm (2 inch) pieces; 1 carrot, thinly sliced; 1 generous tbsp garlic, finely chopped; 1 generous tbsp ginger, finely chopped; 3 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped; 4 chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional); ¼ red onion, broken into petals; 1 tbsp rapeseed (canola) or peanut oil; FOR THE SAUCE; 1 ½ tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tsp Chinese chicken powder or ½ MSG (optional); 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry; 5 tbsp water or unsalted chicken stock; 2 ½ tsp cornflour (corn starch); 1 tsp sesame oil

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Chinese scallops and asparagus is a hugely popular, yet light meal.

Go to pretty much any Cantonese Chinese restaurant and you are almost certain to find scallops and asparagus on the menu. This is a delicious and very simple Chinese recipe that only requires a few easy to find ingredients.

The only ingredient that might be difficult to source where you live is the Chinese chicken powder or MSG. These are optional and can be left out though your scallops and asparagus will taste much more like those at restaurants if you use one or the other.

What is Chinese scallops and asparagus?

Chinese scallops and asparagus is a dish in Chinese cuisine that typically features scallops and asparagus as the main ingredients, stir-fried together with a flavourful combination of sauces and seasonings. The dish is known for its delicious and harmonious blend of textures and flavours.

This is a Chinese-American version of the recipe. It is worth noting that the scallops farmed in China and the asparagus is different to western varieties. This recipe is much more like you would find in an American Chinese restaurant or any western Chinese restaurant.

What are the key ingredients in Chinese scallops and asparagus?

The exact preparation of Chinese scallops and asparagus can vary, but here’s a general idea of what goes into this and other versions of the recipe:

Scallops
Fresh asparagus spears
Garlic, minced
Ginger, minced
Soy sauce (soy sauce is often added. About a tablespoon but I don’t add it to my scallops and asparagus).
Oyster sauce
Sesame oil
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil for stir-frying

How do you cook the Chinese scallops and asparagus?

This is a really quick and easy stir fry. The carrots and asparagus are first blanched to tenderise them. Then you fry the scallops and set them aside. The scallops are cooked separately like this so that you don’t overcook them.

Then all the aromatics and vegetables are all fried before adding the sauce and returning the scallops to the pan.

You are literally only about 10 minutes away from an amazing Chinese meal.

How do you cook the scallops to perfection?

Scallops become tough if you overcook them. This is especially so if you slice them in half so be sure to watch them carefully.

In this recipe, you slice the scallops down the middle giving you two thin slices of scallop. You then heat the wok over a high heat and flash fry the scallops. They will only need two minutes in the wok!

Add them to the wok and let them brown for about a minute. Then flip them all over to lightly brown them on the other side. Done! Get them out and off the heat.

Step by step photographs

Prepared ingredients for Chinese scallops and asparagus

Gather and prepare all your ingredients before you start stir-frying.

Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add the carrots and asparagus and blanch for about 40 seconds. Be sure to peel off the skin of the larger pieces of asparagus first.

Running cold water of the strained asparagus and carrots.

Strain and the run cold water over the blanched vegetables. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat and cook the scallops for about 2 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Frying the chopped garlic, ginger and spring onions (scallions) in a hot wok.

In the remaining oil, heat fry the garlic, ginger and spring onions (scallion) for about a minute.

Adding the mushrooms and red onion to the hot wok.

Stir in the red onions and mushrooms and continue frying for another minute to soften.

Returning the blanched carrots and asparagus to the wok.

Return the blanched carrots and asparagus to the wok and stir in the sauce.

Now pour in the seared scallops and stir well to combine.

This dish is so tasty and light too. Give it a try soon.

Dig in!

You might also like to try some of these Chinese-American favourites!

I am adding new Chinese recipes to my blog regularly so be sure to check out the Chinese section often. For now, why not try some of these Chinese-American classics?

Have you tried this recipe for Chinese Scallops and Asparagus?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

Yield: 4