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Were the scallops bad....


nessa

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I went to the best fish market we have here last week to buy some fish for my boss. As I was looking around at the offerings, I noticed the sea scallops. They were in a tray that had liquid in the bottom. The liquid wasn't milk white but it was not clear either. I asked the fishmonger if they were treated scallops and he said they were dry, but went on to say that depending on where they were caught, some scallops are naturally "wetter" than others. He said these were from the Carolina coast and were therefore wetter. He said the Maine ones were the driest.

So is he just telling me sh** or is this true? I don't want to waste money on treated scallops that are being passed off as dry.

Basically BS.

I order dry pack 'Day boat' scallops in 8# containers from Browne Trading in Maine. No liquid to speak of, we eat them as sashimi when we first get them. Freeze the rest. Best sea scallops i have ever had!-Dick

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I went to the best fish market we have here last week to buy some fish for my boss. As I was looking around at the offerings, I noticed the sea scallops. They were in a tray that had liquid in the bottom. The liquid wasn't milk white but it was not clear either. I asked the fishmonger if they were treated scallops and he said they were dry, but went on to say that depending on where they were caught, some scallops are naturally "wetter" than others. He said these were from the Carolina coast and were therefore wetter. He said the Maine ones were the driest.

So is he just telling me sh** or is this true? I don't want to waste money on treated scallops that are being passed off as dry.

I think this is true. "Dry pack" doesn't necessarily mean the scallops will be bone dry, it just means they have not been packed in the preservative solution.

Any protein is going to give off a little of its juices as it sits, due to dehydration. And I don't see why scallops in different waters with different temperatures and environmental factors should not have different moisture content.

I have bought wet-looking, "dry-pack" scallops at the Lobster Place in Chelsea Market that were absolutely fabulous and browned up terrifically.

You ought to at least give them a try, IMO.

edited to add: Chelsea Market here in NYC, that is. Sometimes I forget people live in other places. :raz:

Edited by scottie (log)
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then added a teaspoon of sugar, thinking to up the carmelization.

Contrary to what the Food Network may tell you, protein does not caramelize. The sugar you added will caramelize and add a little color on it's own, but it has no bearing on the physical browning of the scallops themselves. Hearing this is a huuuuuuuuge pet peeve of mine. :hmmm:

The browning of proteins is caused by the Maillard Reaction.

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