Cedar Plank Beer Scallops with Roasted Vegetables

"I had a similar experience in cooking a little while ago. I soaked two cedar planks in white wine and made salmon with them. Ever since then, I’ve considered water as a backup when it comes to soaking cedar planks. This time, I tried beer with cedar plank scallops and it turned out so well. To enhance the flavor, I also used beer to marinate the scallops. I am not a beer person, but after creating this recipe, I think I found my favorite way to enjoy a can of beer. And I hope you’ll give it a try as well. Here is how you do it. Reserve 1/2 cup beer from a 12-oz can and soak a cedar plank in the rest of the beer. Add minced garlic, old bay seasoning, brown sugar, and red chili flakes to the reserved beer and marinate sea scallops in the beer mixture. In the meantime, chop up some red onions and yellow bell pepper. You can use green, red or even sweet mini peppers for this recipe. When the cedar plank is soaked for at least an hour, place it on direct heat on a grill over medium heat or heat it in the oven at 400°F for 5 minutes to get it ready. Then you can put the marinated scallops on the prepared cedar plank. Don’t discard the marinade. Pour it over on the vegetables in a cast iron skillet. Now it’s time to cook your scallops and your vegetables, side by side. Your fabulous dinner will be ready in less than minutes from this point on."

NotesIf using a grill, preheat grill to medium heat. Place the cedar plank on grill rack over direct medium heat. Cover and heat 4-5 minutes or until light to medium smoke comes from the plank and the wood begins to crackle. Turn the plank over and place on indirect heat. Place scallops on plank. Place the cast iron skillet with veggies on the direct medium heat. Grill, covered, for 10-12 minutes or until the scallops are firm and opaque, and the veggies are soft.

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Serves2 People

Preparation Time1 hr

Cooking Time8 min

Ingredients

1 cedar plank
1 (12-fl oz) can beer
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
2 large cloves garlic, minced
6 large sea scallops
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped

Soak cedar plank in beer for at least an hour, reserving 1/2 cup beer.
In a medium bowl, combine the reserved beer, Old Bay seasoning, pepper, red chili flakes, brown sugar and garlic. Stir well, then place sea scallops into the marinade. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the cedar plank into the oven for 5 minutes.
Use tongs to transfer the marinated scallops onto the prepared cedar plank. Grab some garlic and seasoning bits from the bottom of the bowl and place them on each scallop. Dot each scallop with one butter piece.
In a cast iron skillet, toss onion and bell pepper with olive oil. Pour the scallop marinade into the skillet. Mix well.
Place both the scallops and the vegetables into the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the scallops are firm and opaque.