What a Load of Scallops!

As I've mentioned many times, I don't actually miss anything since being vegan, but if I can enjoy things that emulate the seafood that I used to enjoy, but without any of the soul destroying evil that goes with it, I'm definitely going to give it a go. Thankfully, sea flavour things have been my biggest successes of late, which just reinforces my lack of need to ever go back to non vegan sources of these flavours. I bloody loved the tofush I made and if I wasn't so damned fickle and experimental, I'd definitely have it several times a week. So, my next experimentation was to be with vegan scallops.

Now, Massive Munch was never really a fan of scallops in our previous life, and I used to have to eat them when I was home alone. Flash forward to our plant life and the texture of these were a little bit too realistic for MM's tastes, but I was rather impressed! I especially loved the juicy burst of flavour that came with each bite. Plus, because they're just slices of mushrooms I can eat like 30 and feel fine! Which is obviously what I did. Thankfully, MM was quite satisfied with the pumpkin and squash croquettes, but I can't believe that I'm still going to have to save scallops for when he's away. Ridiculous!

I found my king oyster (suitably fishy named) mushrooms in my nearest Asian supermarket marked up as chicken leg mushrooms.

Oh yeah, I also used the leftover marinade to make fishy style Burmese tofu.

A Load of Scallops!

serves 1 - 6 depending on course and love of scallopy textures...

for the scallops
6 king oyster mushrooms, sliced an inch thick
1/4 cup lychee wine
1/4 cup cider vinger
2 tbsp tamari
2 tsp kelp powder
1 veg stock cube
boiling water
nori sheet, torn small

for the croquettes
1 small pumpkin, cut in wedges
1/4 large spaghetti squash, in wedges
6 tbsp flour
crackers, smashed
salt & pepper
oil
rosemary & thyme

1. In a dish big enough to hold all of the mushroom slices, combine the lychee wine, cider vinegar, tamari, kelp powder and stock cube and stir to combine.
2. Pop all of the mushroom slices into your marinade, top up with boiling water, cover and stick in the fridge for a few hours. I did about 3.
3. Preheat your oven to gas mark 6 or equivalent.
4. Roast your squash and pumpkin pieces coated in olive oil and salt and pepper, with rosemary and thyme for about 45 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool.
5. Once your pumpkin and squash are cool, deseed and peel and mash together into a bowl. Stir in some flour a tbsp at a time, until a dough like consistency is achieved.
6. Shape into croquettes ad roll in smashed cracker bits.
7. Heat some high smoke point oil in a pan and pop a flat pan or griddle on to heat up.
8. Remove your scallops from the marinade, and reserve the liquid for another recipe.
9. Spray each scallop with oil and cook on each side for roughly 3-5 minutes, or until warmed through and slightly golden.
10. Fry off your croquettes in the hot oil until golden and crispy all over.
11. Serve with something green and some torn up nori sheet sprinkled over your scallops.
12. Et voila! Cruelty free seafood!
13. Perversely enjoy the meaty, uncanny scallop like texture resulting in a juice stained chin.
14. Mmmmm...chin juice...