Building Blocks.
Putting together a stir fry or, in this case, fried rice, is a process similar to using building blocks as a kid. You just keep adding to your creation until it’s just right. Sometimes, a couple of blocks are all you need; at other times, you keep adding until you run out of materials or your castle is complete. The latter was the case for today’s Scallop-Fried Rice.
It started with 5 frozen scallops… not enough for a meal but a good place to start. The additional building blocks at my fingertips were: three ears of corn, shiitake mushrooms, a yellow bell pepper, leeks, some late-season asparagus, jalapeños, serranos, and an egg — most from the farmers market, along with a cabinet filled with condiments. All my “castle” needed was a batch of cold cooked rice.
I’m glad I jotted notes, because it was incredibly flavorful, and good enough to serve to guests. As I mention in the notes, this dish lends itself to flexibility. You can change the protein, mix proteins, use different vegetables/add-ins, and even different sauce ingredients. Once everything is chopped, sliced, or diced, the dish is ready in minutes.
This is by no means an authentic Asian recipe, but it does use some traditional techniques (the rice must be cold) and sauce ingredients. Authentic or not. This Scallop Fried Rice tastes wonderful and made us very happy.
~ David
Scallop Fried Rice
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Ingredients
- 4 cups cold cooked white rice (cooked 1 or 2 days in advance)
- 2 large leeks
- 4 to 8 sea scallops, quartered
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided, plus extra
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Morton’s)
- kernels from 3 ears cooked fresh corn
- 1 small red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 12 ounces asparagus, sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
- 1 serrano chile, minced
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or other chile paste
- 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Making fried rice works best when the rice is cooked at least one or two days in advance. If push comes to shove, you can cook it the same day, but make sure it’s cold.
- Trim the dark green part from the leeks, then cut them in half lengthwise. Rinse the halves in cold water to remove any sand and cut them crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.
- Pat sea scallops dry with a paper towel, then cut into quarters (or sixths if very large).
- Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. When shimmering, add the scallops and cook until golden-brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
- Add 2 more tablespoons of the vegetable oil to the pan. Add the leeks and the kosher salt and cook until tender and just starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the corn kernels, bell pepper, asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, and serrano chile; sauté until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the cooked rice and toss until coated in the oil. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir and pull to the sides.
- In a separate small bowl, add the Shaoxing wine to the egg and beat well. In the open middle of the pan, add a tiny bit more oil, then the egg. Let sit for a minute (omelet-style) then scramble and stir into the rice mixture.
- Sprinkle the five-spice powder over the rice, then add oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sambal oelek; stir all until the rice is evenly coated and fully heated, about 2 minutes. Season well with black pepper.
- Add the reserved scallops and their accumulated juices, and toss until combined and warmed through, about 1 more minute. Transfer the fried rice to a serving platter and serve.
- Serves 4.
- Notes:
- • this fried rice is also good with shrimp or a combination of scallops and shrimp.
- • use onion or shallot in place of leeks
- • use whatever vegetables work for you… peas, carrots, and celery work well
- • baby corns can be substituted for the fresh corn
© 2026 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Mad Dog
March 14, 2026 at 4:41 amThat looks delicous. Coincidentally, I cooked a Spanish Arroz with scallops last Saturday!
David Scott Allen
March 14, 2026 at 8:04 amWow — I bet that was delicious l Mad Dog.
Eha Carr
March 14, 2026 at 4:48 amYum! Living alone I have existed on stir-fries ‘my style’ unnamed but with an Asian bent ‘forever’! Used what I had and what seemed to go together with whatever sauces and spices and herbs were there and seemed to fit! Hardly any two alike – making the dishes exciting and tasty and different! Haven’t used much asparagus or corn . . . but that is me 🙂 ! And – *grin* – I use chopsticks but then I eat my European cut-up dishes with chopsticks also if no one is looking . . . a lovely relaxed and slower way of enjoying my meal! Love scallops, love leeks . . . enjoy!
David Scott Allen
March 14, 2026 at 8:03 amI used to eat my bacon and eggs each morning with chopsticks … used then to cook the bacon and eggs, too. Corn is really good in stir fried, you might like it!
Eha Carr
March 14, 2026 at 1:50 pmShall try the corn – you people eat more of it than we do. If you have indulged in bacon and eggs with chopsticks, you DO understand me 🙂 !
David Scott Allen
March 15, 2026 at 12:52 pmCorn is one of the original staple crops from the United States/the Americas. We do love our corn!
Mimi Rippee
March 14, 2026 at 6:11 amWonderful!!! A really good reason to always have rice stored in the fridge!
David Scott Allen
March 14, 2026 at 8:01 amHave you ever tried it with fresh-cooked rice? What a disaster! Yes, Mimi, keeping cooked rice in the fridge is wonderful.
Barb
March 14, 2026 at 7:09 amWhat a wonderful way to use up odds and ends and still have a freshly cooked entree instead of leftovers! However, I’ll bet even the leftovers of this would be tasty! Making a dish like this is so satisfying for the cook. Well done, Chef David! I really like the beautiful serving dish.
David Scott Allen
March 14, 2026 at 8:00 amYes, indeed, Barb — the leftovers of this dish made Mark very happy for his lunch the next day! And I love using up bits and bob’s from the fridge. Is such a great way to avoid waste!
angiesrecipes
March 14, 2026 at 7:34 amHow delicious! At home, we made stirfried rice with dried scallops and shrimps.
David Scott Allen
March 14, 2026 at 7:58 amThanks, Angie — while dried scallops and shrimp are convenient, using fresh is really quite special.
Jill W Becker
March 14, 2026 at 9:36 amMy husband will love this….Must try soon.
David Scott Allen
March 15, 2026 at 12:52 pmLet me know. I hope Dave likes it!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
March 14, 2026 at 4:27 pmSuch a wonderful dish, David! I love how the sweet scallops pair with all those colourful vegetables and bold flavours. Fried rice is always comforting, and this version looks especially vibrant and delicious.
David Scott Allen
March 15, 2026 at 12:51 pmThat’s very kind, Ben. I always think of stirfry as a great way to use up a little bits of things that we have in the fridge which wouldn’t make an entire meal. A couple of scallops did very well in this dish.
Sherry
March 14, 2026 at 6:08 pmsounds delicious David. who cares about authentic? Not this gal!
sherry
David Scott Allen
March 15, 2026 at 12:50 pmWell, Sherry, there is a place for authenticity. Otherwise, we lose our culinary history. But it doesn’t mean we can’t play around with food! Also, I want people to know that this is inspired by something Chinese, but is not cultural appropriation.
FEL!X
March 14, 2026 at 6:19 pmNever used corn in a fried rice – good idea!
Eating with chopsticks also means eating more slowly, which is healthier than «shovelling» it all in with a spoon!
David Scott Allen
March 15, 2026 at 12:48 pmThat is so true about eating slower with chopsticks! It really does help.
Thanks. Corn is wonderful in stirfry, whether fresh kernels or baby corns.
Fran@ G'day Souffle'
March 17, 2026 at 9:25 amI often have lots of leftovers- instead of throwing them out after several days, I could combine them to ‘build a castle’! Using a serrano chile would certainly add some zing to the dish (I wonder what the Chinese would say)!
David Scott Allen
March 17, 2026 at 9:34 amThanks, Fran. I think any Chinese cook would use a Serrano chilies that is all they had. My grind Mr. Yang regularly made substitutions depending on availability of ingredients. Me, too!
Valentina
March 17, 2026 at 2:46 pmLove the castle analogy, and everything in this fried rice. I think fried rice dishes are the best comfort food ever! 🙂 ~Valentina
David Scott Allen
March 17, 2026 at 4:45 pmI do think it is wonderful comfort food, too, Valentina. 🩵
Pauline McNee
March 19, 2026 at 3:19 amYour fried rice would make me very happy too David. I often make it when I’m feeling needy for Asian flavours, and as a way to use up bits of pieces in the crisper. I’m taking notes from yours, add wine to the egg omelette, and your combination of sauces and spices looks great. I add prawns to mine if I have them, but scallops sounds amazing, and I add corn for Mr. HRK but not me, just because of gut issues, it’s perfect in fried rice. You’ve inspired me for the weekend, fried rice on the menu) I might even use my new chopsticks bought for Christmas. Have a great weekend.
David Scott Allen
March 19, 2026 at 10:13 amI am sorry you cannot eat corn, Pauline, but I understand completely. But, as you say, there are so many things that can be added. A combination of scallops and prawns would be wonderful, wouldn’t it? We spoke last evening (a different stir fry) about using chopsticks more often — it might help us (me in particular) to eat more slowly!
Pauline
March 30, 2026 at 12:24 amHa ha, using chopsticks definitely slows me down with eating, and great to keep in practice, so we can show off our expertise when necessary.:)
David Scott Allen
March 30, 2026 at 8:11 amMark and I went out for lunch at a local Chinese restaurant, and we werent even offered chopsticks! I am glad we asked for them, as I have always enjoyed using them.
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
March 19, 2026 at 7:39 amSounds like a really tasty dish, David. Totally agree that fried rice is a great way to use leftover bits and bobs. You can come up with some of the best dishes that way.
David Scott Allen
March 19, 2026 at 10:14 amThat is so true, Frank. Mark looks in the fridge and sees “condiments.” I see possibilities! Thanks for your comment.
Raymund
March 19, 2026 at 12:40 pmDavid, I love how you describe this like building a little edible castle, it’s exactly how fried rice feels on a good day. The mix of scallops, corn, leeks, and all those market veggies sounds incredible, and I’m always here for a flexible, use‑what‑you‑have stir‑fry, I guess you know that from my source whatever you can on the pantry recip[es 😁
David Scott Allen
March 19, 2026 at 1:26 pmExactly, Raymund — there is always something in the fridge you can throw together for a fried rice IF you have some leftover cold rice on hand. The biggest mistake people make is using fresh rice.
Inger
April 1, 2026 at 5:05 pmWhat a perfect way to “strech” your scallops!
David Scott Allen
April 3, 2026 at 11:04 amOr any bits and bobs you have, really!
2pots2cook
April 3, 2026 at 5:59 amPerfect! I guess any other grain would serve well together with any vegetables one have at hand…….
David Scott Allen
April 3, 2026 at 10:59 amAbsolutely — this would be great with quinoa, farro, or brown rice.
Marcelle
April 10, 2026 at 5:40 pmI bought scallops just so I can make this, David!! It’s on our menu this weekend, I can’t wait 🙂 I’ve made plenty of fried rice, but your scallop fried rice has us all excited to try it! xo- M
David Scott Allen
April 11, 2026 at 3:08 pmI’m so glad you’re going to make it, Marcelle. I hope you like it as much as we do.
Christina | Christina's Cucina
April 17, 2026 at 9:57 pmLooks and sounds wonderful to me, David! I first tried (and heard of) fried rice in 5th grade when I had just moved to the US and we made it in our class. First “Asian” dish I’d ever tasted and I loved it (despite not being authentic.)