Gwanja Recipe (Korean Yuzu Salt Grilled Scallops)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 25 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
This gwanja recipe is gwanja yuja-sogeum-gui, a Korean yuzu-salt grilled scallop dish built around dry sea scallops, coarse salt, butter, and a bright yuzu-lemon finish.
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The scallops must be thoroughly dry because any residual moisture will steam rather than sear, so they are seasoned with coarse salt and black pepper, then seared in olive oil over medium-high heat for ninety seconds per side to build a deep golden-brown crust. Lowering the heat and basting with melted butter coats each scallop in a nutty richness while preserving the bouncy, translucent center that defines a well-cooked scallop. The yuzu-lemon finishing sauce is applied only after the heat is turned off, because cooking would volatilize the citrus oils and flatten the bright, fragrant acidity that is the dish's signature. Each bite delivers a sequence of coarse salt crystals, warm butter, oceanic sweetness, and a clean citrus lift, finished with a visual scatter of chopped chives.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Press the 300 g sea scallops dry on both sides with paper towels until the surface feels dry, not slick.
This step is essential because damp scallops release steam and cannot form a proper crust.
- 2Season
Season the scallops evenly with 0.75 teaspoon coarse salt and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper.
Do not let them sit long after seasoning, or the salt can draw out moisture before searing.
- 3Season
Mix 1 tablespoon yuzu marmalade with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and keep it chilled while the scallops cook.
This sauce is not heated, so the citrus aroma stays bright instead of becoming flat.
- 4Control
Heat a pan well over medium-high heat, then add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Place the scallops with space between them and sear for 1 minute 30 seconds per side without moving them.
- 5Heat
When both sides are deep golden brown, lower the heat and add 10 g butter.
Spoon the melted butter over the scallops for about 30 seconds so they stay glossy and rich without overcooking.
- 6Finish
Turn off the heat, then brush the yuzu sauce thinly over the scallops.
Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chives and serve immediately while the centers are still bouncy and the crust is crisp.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Gwanja Yuja Sogeum-gui are yuzu-seasoned scallops seared at high heat for a golden-brown crust.
- Finish cue
- Spoon the melted butter over the scallops for about 30 seconds so they stay glossy and rich without overcooking.
- Avoid this
- Do not let them sit long after seasoning, or the salt can draw out moisture before searing.
- Substitution
- If scallops are wet, they steam instead of searing.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
25min, 8 ingredients
Category median
32min, 8 ingredients
Based on 173 recipes
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