Air-Fried Bay Scallops With Mango Salsa and Sautéed Asparagus

I recently retired my beloved Magic Chef after 30 years of good use and replaced it with a GE Cafe range. Surprisingly, it came with an air fryer built in, which I rarely use. But, today I thought I’d fire it up. The bay scallops came out very tender with a nice crunch. Give it a whirl.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

FOR THE FISH

1 pound bay scallops

½ cup flour

2 egg, beaten

½ cup panko

3 teaspoons KK’s Exotic Spice Blend (or your favorite spice rub)

spray oil

FOR THE ASPARAGUS

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

10 asparagus spears, cut into ½” pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

White and black sesame seeds for garnish

FOR THE MANGO SALSA

12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

½ mango, cut into ½” cubes

1 scallion, chopped into small rings

½ orange, zested, then juiced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. Season scallops with salt and pepper.

Place the flour, eggs and panko in separate bowls for dredging. Add one teaspoon of the spice mixture to each of the bowls and combine each separately.

Place ½ of the scallops in the flour to cover, shaking off any excess. Place scallops in eggs and using a slotted spoon, turn them until covered. Use the spoon to scoop them up, letting the excess egg drip off first, and then place in panko. Make sure all are covered and shake off any excess. Place scallops on parchment lined baking sheet, making sure they are separated enough so they aren’t touching each other. Repeat process with the other half of the scallops.

Using a spray oil, spritz the scallops with oil, then place them in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Sauté shallot for about two minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add asparagus and sauté for about 4 minutes. They should be bright green and not too mushy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Combine all of the salsa ingredients in a small pan and heat over a low flame, just to warm up, about two minutes.

To plate, using a round 4” cookie cutter, fill the cookie cutter first with the asparagus mixture, then the scallops next to that and finally the salsa, creating three separate circles of food. It’s a fun way to present the dish and it’s perfect for those picky eaters that don’t like the different foods touching each other.