Kitchen Klutz: Getting burned by teriyaki scallops

**Check back Monday for this recipe

By Michèle De Meglio

Summer is all about the beach. And sitting on a pier indulging in fresh seafood after an afternoon dip in the Atlantic.

In an attempt to recreate my memories of dining on grilled mahi-mahi in the Bahamas last summer (it was amazing!), I sought inspiration from the pre-made meals in Whole Foods’ freezer section.

A frozen seafood dish (Henry & Lisa’s Bay Scallops with Japanese Glaze) caught my eye and I decided to make a similar concoction — from scratch. Actually, somewhat from scratch.

I purchased one pound of small bay scallops and a bottle of teriyaki sauce, which is obviously the not-from-scratch part.



To start, I coated a large frying pan with olive oil and kept it on medium heat. Once sizzling, I added the scallops and sauted them for a couple of minutes.

I have to say, I hate, hate, hate sauteing! Why does the oil always have to splash and burn me? I still need to figure out a way to prevent this — or lessen the pain.

Overcome with misery and desperately in need of Band-Aids, I poured in the teriyaki sauce and hoped for the best.

Verdict: Yuck! The sauce was too overpowering for the mild scallops. Even worse, I think the seafood might have been a bit gone off. Again, yuck!

Maybe this is one dish that’s better from the box.

Kitchen Klutz follows 20-something Michèle De Meglio as she burns casseroles and her fingers, all in hope of trading frozen dinners for home cooking.