Scallops with nuoc cham tomatoes & cold vermicelli

A Vietnamese-inspired dish that comes together quickly so it's good for days when it's too hot to cook.

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I don’t eat a lot of seafood at home, not because I don’t like it, but because I don’t always love the leftovers. I sometimes cook small pieces of fish for myself, but I rarely follow a recipe from a book because I worry I will waste the leftovers.

But recently, I saw some scallops that looked too good to pass up, so I decided to get over myself. I thought they’d play nicely a tomato-cucumber salad and I’d been craving cold noodles, so vermicelli were the perfect vehicle. A bright and punchy Vietnamese nuoc cham-ish sauce would tie everything together.

This dish comes together quickly and it’s nice for when it’s too hot to cook, which feels like nearly every day. If you can’t find vermicelli, I think rice would work here, but you won’t get that satisfying slurp.

Scallops with Nuoc Cham Tomatoes & Cold Vermicelli

Serves 3-4

1 lb scallops, side muscle removed from the side if needed
*The side muscle is a little tag of muscle tissue on the side of the scallop that secures it to the shell and may still be on the scallops. You can gently pull it off to remove it.

Kosher salt

1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 cup warm water

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

2-3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 large garlic clove, grated

1 small chili, finely chopped

1 bundles of vermicelli per person

Small handful of herbs, to serve: cilantro, Thai basil, mint, or Italian basil

Neutral oil for cooking the scallops

Prepare the tomatoes first. In a small bowl, combine sugar, lime juice, and the water. Taste the mix and add more sugar or lime juice to your taste. Add the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the fish sauce. Taste the mixture again and add more fish sauce if you want to go a little more punchy, I usually add about 3 tablespoons. Mix in the garlic and chilies. Gently mix in tomatoes and set aside.

Pat the scallops dry and season with salt. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add about two tablespoons of oil when the pan is hot. Sear the scallops fro 2-3 minutes depending on the size. Larger scallops might take a bit longer. Flip and cook 2-3 minutes more. They should release when they’re ready, but if not, you can gently pull them from the pan. Remove the skillet from the heat and set scallops aside on another plate.

Wipe out the skillet to soak up any residual oil. Add the tomato mixture and stir for about 1 minute. Keep the skillet off the heat, you’re just gently warming the tomatoes. Remove the tomatoes to another bowl and let cool.

Cook the vermicelli according to the package. Each manufacturer will be different, but usually it involves pouring boiling water over the noodles for a few minutes. Once finished, rinse under cold water to cool down the noodles.

When you’re ready to serve, fold the cucumbers into the tomatoes. Divide the noodles and scallops among four plates. Divide the tomato mixture among the plates, drizzling some of the liquid to the noodles. Top with herbs.