Canadian Grandmother Citrus Ginger Seafood Rice

About This Recipe

This seafood rice pulls from the fishing communities of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where sea scallops and shrimp landed that morning often go straight into a simple rice dinner rather than anything fussy. Rice is cooked in a light seafood stock, and green beans are added partway through so they stay bright and snappy rather than turning grey and limp. The citrus and ginger lean into the fresh, clean way East Coast cooks tend to season seafood, brightening the richness of pan-seared scallops without masking their sweetness. Scallops need only a couple of minutes per side in a hot pan to develop a deep golden crust while staying translucent and tender in the center, which is the single most important technique in this dish -- overcooked scallops turn rubbery fast. Finished with a scatter of chives and a final squeeze of lemon, this is a quick, elegant seafood dinner that showcases quality shellfish rather than burying it under heavy sauce.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.5 cupslong-grain rice(rinsed)
• 3 cupsseafood or vegetable stock
• 450 gsea scallops(patted dry)
• 300 graw shrimp(peeled and deveined)
• 200 ggreen beans(trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces)
• 1 tbspfresh ginger(grated)
• 2garlic cloves(minced)
• 1orange(zested and juiced)
• 1lemon(zested and juiced)
• 3 tbspbutter(divided)
• 1 tspfine sea salt(plus more to taste)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 3 tbspchives(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the rice

   Bring stock to a boil, add rice and a pinch of salt, cover and simmer 16 to 18 minutes until tender. Let stand covered off heat for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

2. 2

   Blanch the green beans

   While the rice cooks, blanch green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, then plunge into ice water to keep them crisp and bright green.

3. 3

   Sear the scallops

   Season scallops with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a hot skillet over high heat and sear scallops 90 seconds per side until deeply golden but still translucent in the center. Remove and set aside.

   Do not crowd the pan and do not move the scallops once they hit the butter -- a proper sear needs contact time undisturbed.

4. 4

   Cook the shrimp and aromatics

   In the same pan, add remaining butter, ginger and garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add shrimp and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through.

5. 5

   Combine and finish

   Stir orange and lemon zest and juice into the rice along with the green beans. Fold in the shrimp, top with seared scallops, and finish with chives before serving.

Variations

• •

  Lobster version: swap the shrimp for cooked lobster meat, folded in at the very end to just warm through.

• •

  Spicy version: add a pinch of chile flakes with the ginger and garlic for background heat.

• •

  Herb swap: use fresh dill instead of chives for a more classic East Coast seafood pairing.

Storage

This dish is best eaten fresh, as scallops toughen on reheating. If needed, store rice and seafood separately in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat the rice gently, adding the seafood at the very end just to warm through.

Frequently Asked Questions