Recipes
Korean BBQ · Korean home cooking

Doenjang butter scallops

Korean soybean paste adds depth to Japanese butter-soy scallops, cooked through in a home skillet.

20 min2 servings5 stepsDifficulty: Intermediate
Doenjang butter scallops

AI-generated cooking illustrations. Follow the written quantities and instructions.

01 / Before you start

Ingredients

2 servings

Get your ingredients ready
Get your ingredients ready

Everyday kitchen measurements

For 2 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).

How to fill the cup and spoons

Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.

King Arthur Baking

Essential, optional and substitute ingredients

Keep essential ingredients. For a replacement, use its listed amount and cooking changes instead of that ingredient’s original amount. Skip optional ingredients and their preparation if omitted. Photos show the original recipe.

  • Essential

    Needed for this version; use the listed amount.

  • Essential

    Needed for this version; use the listed amount.

  • Substitute available

    If Korean doenjang soybean paste is unavailable

    Replace with 12 g plain miso and omit the 5 ml soy sauce. Do not add both pastes.

  • Essential

    Needed for this version; use the listed amount.

  • Essential

    Needed for this version; use the listed amount.

  • Essential

    Needed for this version; use the listed amount.

  • Essential

    Needed for this version; use the listed amount.

  • Essential

    Needed for this version; use the listed amount.

  • Optional

    May be omitted; leave the other quantities unchanged.

  • Optional

    May be omitted; leave the other quantities unchanged.

Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.

02 / You’re ready to cook

Step-by-step cooking

  1. Step 1

    Thaw scallops overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the small tough side muscle and blot very dry. Use about 8 large scallops, around 2 cm thick. Mince garlic and slice spring onion.

  2. Step 2

    Mix doenjang, soy sauce, sugar and all 30 ml water until loose. If replacing doenjang with the same amount of miso, omit the soy sauce. Keep sauce separate from raw scallops.

  3. Step 3

    Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Space scallops in one layer and sear undisturbed for 90 seconds–2 minutes. Work in batches if crowded; wet scallops steam instead of browning.

  4. Step 4

    Flip and cook for 1–2 minutes until the centers are firm, pearly and opaque. For thick pieces check at least 63°C. If the crust darkens too quickly, lower the heat. Transfer to a clean plate.

  5. Step 5

    Lower heat. Melt butter, add garlic for 20 seconds, then sauce for 30–60 seconds. Return scallops for 20 seconds to coat. If thick, loosen with 15 ml extra water. Add optional spring onion and lemon; serve immediately.

03 / Enjoy your meal

Finished dish

Finished dish: Doenjang butter scallops
Doenjang butter scallops
Helpful tips

2 servings. Contains molluscs, milk and soy; paste/soy sauce may contain wheat. Use raw thick scallop muscles, not shell-on or precooked scallops. Total time excludes refrigerator thawing.

Enjoy every bite

How to enjoy it

Serve with rice and spoon the butter sauce over it.

Serve it with