Dale Talde’s Grilled Scallops with XO-Pineapple Fried Rice

Dale Talde, a competitor on both Top Chef Season 4 and Top Chef All-Stars, is an authority on Southeast Asian cuisine. His mother, a Filipino immigrant, ignited his passion for cooking, which he brings with him to his restaurants, Talde, Pork Slope, and Thistle Hill Tavern — all located in Brooklyn.This dish appeared during a Quickfire challenge in Episode 8 of the 4th season. Padma asks the chefs to create a polished entrée in only fifteen minutes using rice — and this is what Dale came up with. (According to him, he had the advantage of being familiar with cooking high-speed, high-heat Asian food.) He was right: In the episode, Art Smith chooses Talde’s dish as one of his favorites. The crunchy long beans perfectly complement the fluffy texture that the eggs give the rice; it’s a complete, balanced dish, and one you should be making at home.
Ingredients:

• 3 teaspoons peanut oil, separated
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 small pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 3 tablespoons scallion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon XO sauce, such as Lee Kum Kee brand
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon chili oil, separated
• 12 scallops, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, separated
• 10 long beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of the peanut oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook, stirring, until firm. Remove the eggs from the pan and set aside.
2. Add another 1 teaspoon peanut oil to the pan. Add the pineapple, onion, scallion, garlic, and ginger and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat and heat the rice, 2 to 4 minutes.
3. Season the soy sauce, XO sauce, fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon chili oil, then add the eggs to the rice.
4. Season the scallops with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
5. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon peanut oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the long beans with 1/4 cup of water, then cover them to steam. Cook until crisp-tender. Season with sweet soy sauce and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
6. Heat a medium sauté pan or grill over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon chili oil, then the scallops, and cook them to medium, turning once, about 2 minutes.
7. To assemble, pile the rice on a large plate. Top with the long beans, then the scallops. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

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