Scallops [Merged Topic]

[dondford]

I have never seen a recipe or heard mention of eating whole Scallops; Oysters, Clam and Mussels are all eaten whole either cooked or raw. Why not Scallops?

D

[JanMcBaker]

By whole scallops, do you mean the scallop plus roe? If so, scallops plus their roe are rarely found in this country, for some reason. I understand that most scallops harvested for the US are shucked on board and the roe and shell are discarded before they even reach shore!

[dondford]

By whole scallops, do you mean the scallop plus roe?  If so, scallops plus their roe are rarely found in this country, for some reason. I understand that most scallops harvested for the US are shucked on board and the roe and shell are discarded before they even reach shore!

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The only part of the scallops, either Bay or Sea Scallops, found in the markets that I have seen was only the white adductor muscle. I am referring to the whole body of the scallop, including the adductor muscle.

I guess it may a little like Clam Strips vs Whole Clams including the Belly

D

[Magictofu]

By whole scallops, do you mean the scallop plus roe?  If so, scallops plus their roe are rarely found in this country, for some reason. I understand that most scallops harvested for the US are shucked on board and the roe and shell are discarded before they even reach shore!

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This is sad because the row is very tasty

[Carolyn Tillie]

By whole scallops, do you mean the scallop plus roe?  If so, scallops plus their roe are rarely found in this country, for some reason. I understand that most scallops harvested for the US are shucked on board and the roe and shell are discarded before they even reach shore!

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This is sad because the row is very tasty

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I think you mean "roe."

But I agree!

[slkinsey]

As far as I know, no one eats the whole scallop, guts and all. It's just the adductor muscle, and maybe the roe. Have a look

of scallop shucking. Also, have a look at these pictures and I think you'll agree that you wouldn't want to eat that part.

[Magictofu]

By whole scallops, do you mean the scallop plus roe?  If so, scallops plus their roe are rarely found in this country, for some reason. I understand that most scallops harvested for the US are shucked on board and the roe and shell are discarded before they even reach shore!

←

This is sad because the row is very tasty

←

I think you mean "roe."

But I agree!

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Oops... thanks

[Magictofu]

As far as I know, no one eats the whole scallop, guts and all.  It's just the adductor muscle, and maybe the roe.  Have a look

of scallop shucking.  Also, have a look at these pictures and I think you'll agree that you wouldn't want to eat that part.

←

Hummmm blueberries!

[RyuShihan]

Actually when I worked on the Sushi bar, we used to use the whole scallop. We would take most of the inerds out and noil them in a sake soy and ugar mixture to make a pretty cool topping for rice, then we would leave the roe and abdutor muscle and make a mayo, tobiko, siracha brulee...man was it good.

[Sam Salmon]

Here in Beautiful British Columbia we're lucky to have a growing Swimming Scallop fishery.

It's a bit of a different product from regular Pink Scallops and we eat the whole animal-it's fabulous.

In fact one of the originators of the fishery is moored down @ nearby Fisherman's Wharf and I intend to stop down this weekend to stock up.

[dondford]

As far as I know, no one eats the whole scallop, guts and all.  It's just the adductor muscle, and maybe the roe.  Have a look

of scallop shucking.  Also, have a look at these pictures and I think you'll agree that you wouldn't want to eat that part.

←

"Guts and all"? I had a couple dozen oysters on the half shell for lunch and they were great; I guess I was eating "guts and all".

D

[dondford]

Here in Beautiful British Columbia we're lucky to have a growing Swimming Scallop fishery.

It's a bit of a different product from regular Pink Scallops and we eat the whole animal-it's fabulous.

In fact one of the originators of the fishery is moored down @ nearby Fisherman's Wharf and I intend to stop down this weekend to stock up.

←

Your Swimming Scallops look very similar to the Bay or Calico Scallops we pick up in St. Joseph Bay in the panhandle of Fla. Next time I'm down there I am going to simply take the "bull by the horns" wade out, pick some up, shuck one and eat the whole thing raw and see what happens. What's the worse that can happen.

Don

[budrichard]

We regularly get Taylor Bay scallops(farmed scallop) and eat them like oysters. When I can get the large 'diver' type in the shell we eat everything. Maine regulations don't allow scallops harvested in Maine to be commercially sold in the shell, hence from Browne Trading we get shucked.

-Dick

[dcarch]

In the USA, scallops are sold only the adductor muscle.

 

I don't remember the reasons, but isn't that because of some health related issues? Does that mean USA waters are dirtier, and Lobsters should be cooked at different temperatures?

 

dcarch

Edited March 27, 2014 by dcarch (log)

[Honkman]

In the USA, scallops are sold only the adductor muscle.

 

I don't remember the reasons, but isn't that because of some health related issues? Does that mean USA waters are dirtier, and Lobsters should be cooked at different temperatures?

 

dcarch

 

You can buy more than just the adductor muscle (at least in California)

[dcarch]

Never seen scallops with more than adductor muscle in NY area.

 

I have seen scallop sushi and lobster sushi.

 

dcarch

[rotuts]

you might cultivate some Divers.

 

then again,in your area this might not bee a good idea

 

its a tradition in the USA not to diddle and faddle  with what looks a bit offish.

 

the full scallop  sometimes available in NE has a lot of bits 'most' 'swells' do not want to deal with.

 

Ukkk

 

but the coral is very nice if you can get it with the muscle.  just dont kill it as it need a different cooking method

 

so its now been Officially Established ::

 

NYC, as much as the Love Them Selves

 

has Dropped the Ball

 

its a Shell Fish Waste Land

 

[SobaAddict70]

Never seen scallops with more than adductor muscle in NY area.

 

I have seen scallop sushi and lobster sushi.

 

dcarch

Citarella occasionally has scallop roe on sale, but I haven't bought any in recent memory.

I love them, prepared with pasta and tomatoes.

[MetsFan5]

I apologize if this is an existing topic I couldn't find. I absolutely love scallops and always 

order them when at a reputable seafood restaurant. The posts on the dinner thread have me convinced that I must be able to make them at home-- but I am at beginners level cook, and go on instinct and have no real instinct when it comes to scallops. I know I don't want bay scallops, I want the big guys and I assume I want them dry? And to sear them in an already hot non stick pan with say, butter, capers and a bit of white wine just to begin my ventures with scallops? How do you know when they are delicious versus chewy blobs of old bobble gum? 

[scubadoo97]

Just quickly get some sear and color on each side and get them out of the pan

 

i have a hard time finding dry scallops in my area.  The ones I recent did last night was frozen scallops from Costco.  When thawed there is a lot of milky juice in the bag and they weep some of that as they cook.  Still taste pretty darn good.  I sometimes dust with  Wondra to dry the surface and enhance browning.  Do this with fish too

[Lisa Shock]

I'd deglaze with the wine after the scallops are out of the pan, then add capers to make a sauce. Keeping moisture to a minimum is the key to a good sear here. Making brown butter first can be a tasty option, and helpful to the process (as you cook off the water that is in butter), but, I'm not so fond of it with capers.

[AlaMoi]

probably one of the easiest dishes to do - a round or two experience and you'll be expert.

 

dry - yes, if you can get them.  look for frozen types in a bag labeled "No Preservatives" - the TSP is a 'preservative' and that's what makes them "wet" (couple other compounds are used - but TSP is the biggiest.)

 

if you can't get "dry pack" the pat dry thing is extremely important.  double pat double dry....

 

thaw them _completely_ a full 24 hours minimum in the fridge.  failure to thaw completely is not a good thing . . .

60 minutes before the dinner bell:  pat them dry, lightly salt them, back on a plate in the fridge.

30 minutes before the dinner bell:  pull them out of the fridge to the counter to warm up a bit.

they take about 3 minutes per side; so that's six minutes tops per batch, in a 10" pan you can do roughly six - do not crowd

use a heavy pan.  cast iron is my fav.  preheat to hot.

 

a pat of butter for flavor - enough to coat the pan bottom - when the water has bubbled out and the butter just starts to brown

pat dry the scallops and put them in the pan.  have some oil handy if the pan dries up too much - just a bit - enough to keep the bottom coated.

 

like all proteins, they'll stick at first - move them _not_ until they crust up a bit.  typically you can shake the pan and they'll bust loose.

_listen_ to the pan - adjust the heat so the pop&sizzle remains "consistent" - for scallops-in-a-hot-pan you want a fast / rapid sizzle & pop.

failure to monitor&control the heat can be a problem.  if the pan goes cold, you don't get the sear, if it goes too hot, you could get more color in the sear than you wanted, aka "charcoal"

 

after about 2 mins on the first side, use a sharp pointy carving fork, or ice pick, or skewer, or .... to poke them. 

doing the first side you should not feel any firmness until about the lower 1/3.

then flip.  the second side will likely take a minute or so less.

poke them - you don't want "firm" all the way through - that'd be 'over done' -

 

if you have difficulty with the poking & firm thing - sacrifice one scallop, keep cooking it and keep poking it, flip it, cook&poke until you notice 'the dang thing is hard!' - cut and sample/taste.  "over doing it" is one easy way to learn how the poke-to-check-doneness thing works.

 

the general recommendation is to season them right after they come out of the pan. 

options vary - drizzle a spoonful of butter out of the pan; fresh pepper, seafood boil, wilted scallion, pan sauce w/ reduce white wine...

 

Edited February 6, 2016 by AlaMoi (log)

[cyalexa]

I have read about sprinkling Mycryo on the surface of scallops to improve the sear, especially on wet scallops. I have not tried it as I don't have mycryo on the shelves but I know many on this forum do so thought I would mention it. 

 

https://bewitchingkitchen.com/2013/09/09/sea-scallops-with-pea-puree-cilantro-gremolata/

[scubadoo97]

The Costco scallops don't list TSP but they weep that milky liquid when thawed.  Is that normal for dry scallops?

[AlaMoi]

if frozen, some liquid will appear.  check the label - if it lists anything, that's likely a "preservative" aka water sop....