Bitter scallops

[rshorens]

I had lunch today at a good local restaurant specializing in seafood and had fresh "Nova Scotia sea scallops". They were large scallops, cooked appropriately(not overdone) and were tender but had a terrible bitter taste. I had a similar experience in a different restaurant last year, and am now afraid to order scallops in a restaurant in California. I recall very sweet tasting scallops at a gastropub in London a few years ago,so I wonder if anyone can explain what's going on with the scallops? I love them and don't want to be disappointed again.Thanks for your ideas.

Roz

[Nick]

It could be they weren't that fresh. The big boats are out for two weeks at a time and then God knows what happens when they're landed. Might have been a preservative, though I'm not sure.

[Al_Dente]

Did it taste "bleachy"? I've heard stories of scallops being sprayed with bleach to keep them from tasting off.

[Dave the Cook]

I think Nick's got it. I've noticed that scallops, just before they start to turn (but before they go bad, just to reassure you, Roz), do develop a flavor that I would describe as aggressively neutral, but some might call bitter.

The most common preservative, sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), has sort of a watery saline taste, with an edge of chemical sweetness.

I don't know about bleach. STP does make scallops whiter, which can be a helpful clue at the fish guy's counter.

[budrichard]

There are four categories of scallops sold today.

Diver scallops in the shell are in fact what the name implies, harvested by divers and left in the shell. Usually caught and returned to port the same day and sometimes also called 'Day Boat' scallops. When shipped the next day Fed Ex, they are one of the most enjoyable foods on the planet and be easily eaten sashimi style.

The second category is referred to as 'Dry Pack' These are scallops caught and shelled at sea throwing away the edible mantel and roe(probably the best part). They are not udulterated with any preservatives and shipped quite quickly. They can in fact also be 'Day boat' if returned to port the same day. Browne Trading sells these and they are simply wonderful raw or cooked. It is also my understanding that Maine State law requires scallops to be shelled, hence there not true diver scallops available from Maine.

The third category is the traditional 'Dry Pack' scallops and not 'Day Boat'. If not brought back to port the same day, then they are just 'Dry Pack'. Certainly good for cooking.

The last category is called 'Wet Pack'. These are scallops caught and soaked in a preservative to supposedly enhance freshness but in reality only adds weight to the product. These are an abomination and will not brown no matter what you do.

Any of the above if not fresh will not taste good. I suspect that what you got contrary to what you were told was 'Wet Pack' and the taste was due to the chemicals.

When purchasing and ordering scallops one needs to be quite explicit about what one is getting. -Dick

[Nick]

It is also my understanding that Maine State law requires scallops to be shelled, hence there not true diver scallops available from Maine.

Dick, Diver scallops are harvested by divers. Whether they're shucked or not makes no difference. A diver has gotten the scallops and he or she have in many cases selected the best available on the bottom. This is what makes them a more "select" scallop. Though there are divers that take whatever they can get their hands on.

Day boat scallops are caught by small boats, usually (here in Maine) by lobstermen who rig their boats over for scallop dragging when the season begins. This is inshore scalloping. They're typically 30'-40' boats with small drags. Years ago I made and repaired many small drags.

Offshore scalloping involves much larger boats with huge drags. As I said above they are often out for several weeks at a time so the scallops are not nearly as fresh and may have been adulterated with some chemical or other. Dragging and shucking goes on twenty four hours a day with the crew taking 12 hour shifts. Years ago a huge scallop bed was discovered offshore here and shrimp boats from as far away as the Carolinas and Georgia rigged over to try to strike it rich.

Whether a scallop is good or not doesn't depend so much as how it's caught as to how it's been cared for after catching. I've had big boat scallops just as good as day boat scallops. This isn't usually the case, but does happen. It's all in how the scallops are treated after catching - and for those not fortunate enough to live on the coast - even more depends on what happens when the scallops leave the boat and head to their final market.

[fresco]

There are four categories of scallops sold today.

Diver scallops in the shell are in fact what the name implies, harvested by divers and left in the shell. Usually caught and returned to port the same day and sometimes also called 'Day Boat' scallops. When shipped the next day Fed Ex, they are one of the most enjoyable foods on the planet and be easily eaten sashimi style.

The second category is referred to as 'Dry Pack' These are scallops caught and shelled at sea throwing away the edible mantel and roe(probably the best part). They are not udulterated with any preservatives and shipped quite quickly. They can in fact also be 'Day boat' if returned to port the same day. Browne Trading sells these and they are simply wonderful raw or cooked. It is also my understanding that Maine State law requires scallops to be shelled, hence there not true diver scallops available from Maine.

The third category is the traditional 'Dry Pack' scallops and not 'Day Boat'. If not brought back to port the same day, then they are just 'Dry Pack'. Certainly good for cooking.

The last category is called 'Wet Pack'. These are scallops caught and soaked in a preservative to supposedly enhance freshness but in reality only adds weight to the product. These are an abomination and will not brown no matter what you do.

Any of the above if not fresh will not taste good. I suspect that what you got contrary to what you were told was 'Wet Pack' and the taste was due to the chemicals.

When purchasing and ordering scallops one needs to be quite explicit about what one is getting. -Dick

Are "day boat" scallops live in the shell? If not, there is a fifth category: farmed scallops sold live from tanks. They are raised on Canada's east coast, and I'm sure, on the east coast of the US. Probably not widely available, but worth searching out.

[budrichard]

Nick , you can call them what you want but Diver scallops to me and many others are those harvested by divers and in the shell, period. I purchase from Browne Trading in Maine and they cannot supply them in the shell. What they do have are 'dayboat' according to Browne and they have been extremely good but my preference is for the shell. I'm not sure if thier scallops are harvested by divers or by boat but because they are shucked, Browne does not call them 'Diver Scallops'. Of course the quality depends on how they are handled and shipped. As to adulteration, the standard industry terms are now 'dry pack' and 'wet pack'. What part of my post are you disputing or correcting?-Dick

[Sinbad]

It is also my understanding that Maine State law requires scallops to be shelled, hence there not true diver scallops available from Maine.

What is the reasoning behind this law? Health Concerns? Or just a relic from old times?

[rshorens]

So, with this information in mind, what would be an appropriate strategy for the scallop lover? Ask to speak to the chef about the history of the scallop supplier before ordering the scallops? Ask if the chef has tasted the cooked scallops recently? Call in advance and ask these questions, explaining the problem?

Eat scallops attached to the shells only in dockside restaurants in Maine where one can see the boats come in?Go back to the last restaurant where I had sweet-tasting scallops(Eagle Pub in London)?

Thanks for the interesting information!

Best regards,

Roz

[budrichard]

Sinbad

From the State of Maine Statutes:

§6701. Scallop license

1. License required. A person may not engage in the activities authorized under this section without a current hand fishing scallop license or other license issued under this Part authorizing the activities. [2001, c. 421, Pt. B, §40 (amd); Pt. C, §1 (aff).]

2. Licensed activity. The holder of a hand fishing scallop license may take scallops by hand or possess, ship, transport or sell shucked scallops the holder has taken. [2003, c. 248, §7 (amd).]

I believe it stems from how the law is written.

Roz, are your questions in jest? A few of us have gone to some trouble to provide you with accurate information. You now have the information. What you choose to with it is up to you. -Dick

[Sinbad]

Budrichard,

Thanks for the info about the law, no reason as I thought.

Btw, what is your opinion on Browne Trading and ordering seafood from them? You obviously order scallops from them, anything else recommended?

I have been thinking about ordering from them, but I am hesitant to order seafood by mail since I prefer to inspect the fish prior to purchasing.

[Dave the Cook]

For purposes of answering Sinbad's question, I think the more appropriate legislation is this:

96.22  Closed Area No. 1000; Maine Coast

            (Effective 10-19-99)

                        1.        Effective immediately, because of contamination (paralytic shellfish poisoning), it shall be unlawful to possess any scallops, whole or intact, or scallop viscera taken from Maine coastal waters and those off-shore waters of the U.S. Exclusion Economic Zone (200 mile limit) between the following two boundaries:  (1) the Maine - New Hampshire border to the limits of the U.S. jurisdiction; and (2) the Canadian - U.S. boundary extending seaward out to the limits of the U.S. jurisdiction.

            EXCEPTION:           

                  A)  It shall be lawful to shuck whole and intact scallops at the time of harvesting or at a shoreside wholesale dealer’s facility, but only the adductor muscle shall be retained for personal use, wholesale or retail trade.

                  B)  It shall be lawful for an aquaculturist with an approved aquaculture lease, and a signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Marine Resources to harvest, possess and distribute whole scallops which are grown on their specified lease site as long as the lease site is in the open status.

Source here.

[budrichard]

Hey Dave, THANKS! I have been looking for that. They must feel that the mantel contains more contamination that the muscle or do they not want to shut down the industry entirely?

Browne ships to Daniel's in New York and others. EVERYTHING I have ordered from them has been of the finest top restaurant quality, that includes

scallops of course

Peeky Toe

Fin n Haddie

oysters by the hundred

whole turbot

lobsters

seaweed salad

Just sent in our XMAS/New Years order and included a 5# block of yellow fin, salmon and sea trout caviar.

800-944-7848 opt4, ask for Jamie

[Nick]

Dave, that looks like a rule from a temporary closing due to red tide and the number doesn't look like a Maine statute #. I did a quick search and couldn't find anything related to landing scallops that haven't been shucked. I just called a friend who has spent his life fishing here and he thought there was a law that required shucking aboard the boat and that it came about many years ago when a big scallop bed was discovered off Portland. Apparently many big boats started dragging it and the scallops were so plentiful and so close to shore that the boats brought them in whole and offloaded them so they could head back out and catch more. There weren't enough people on shore to shuck them promptly and many, many scallops spoiled. In part this was due to many small scallops falling through the conveyors and spoiling on the floor. Perhaps it was then that minimum size regulations also came into being.

For the legal beagles among us here's the link to the search function of the Maine statutes. I hadn't been there in awhile and it's running fast, really fast. Our tax dollars at work.

Dick, I just couldn't let stand your statement that diver scallops must come in the shell. Diver scallops are diver scallops are diver scallops - no shell necessary. Maybe you could call up Thomas Keller at the FL. I heard he serves Maine diver scallops.

[Dave the Cook]

Nick, I'm sure you know more about it than I do, and that's why I posted the source -- so that someone else could verify what I had found.

As far as I know, there is no legal definition for "diver scallop." Is that right?

[Brad S]

Just something to read

http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Main/Fea...97,1446,00.html

[Nick]

Dave, the link didn't work. I noticed it was from "public health" though and I think it's something to do with the periodic warnings and rules that come about when red tide hits the coast. At least by the wording. I don't think there is a legal definition of diver scallops - but I hope common sense doesn't stop at the Maine border. The closest in the maine statutes I could find is this.

Brad, that's a good article. I don't know about, " "The dragging from boats beats up the scallops," says Rod Mitchell, owner of Browne Trading Co. Such scallops are collected in huge nets and bang against each other and whatever else winds up in the net, resulting in cracked shells and damaged flesh."

To some people here the beating the bottom takes from the drags is worse than the beating the scallops take. Depending on the bottom, things sure do get stirred up when the drags go through. Also, these are not "huge nets". They're steel drags anywhere from 2' - 15' wide. Steel frames with a "cutting edge" at the bottom with a bag behind that consists of steel rings about 3-4" in diameter held together by links.

As far as the bay or calico scallops which I think come from off the Carolina's, I tried some once years ago and thought there wasn't much to them. But that's what they've got down there and if I were living by the shore down there I'd probably eat them instead of buying high priced stuff from the north. Sort of the same as Gulf shrimp vs. Maine shrimp. Good Gulf shrimp are next to heaven, but we've got our little ones here and they're almost free.

[Sinbad]

Budrichard

Thanks for the feedback on Browne Trading, I will give them a try. I knew they shipped to Daniel and Le Bernardin(or at least advertised that they did), but I trust reviews from "everyday" customers as your experience is more likely to mimic mine.

[budrichard]

Nick. not to belabor the point but it is a very important point to us scallop lovers(you & me). I have discussed this with Jamie at Browne a couple of times. Yes Browne does ship scallops harvested by hand but shucked. Yes, the comment in the article about moving is correct, the ones from Browne are the best I have ever had, We routinely eat them raw as Sashimi. Browne will call them 'diver' or 'Dayboat' if you discuss the matter with them but if you call them and do not disuss the point, they will be called 'Dayboat'. Why? For the simple fact that if a scallop is shelled, to me it loses all tracebility. Browne is reputable and that is why along with my observation of the quality that they ship I believe that thier scallops are caught by divers.That is not to say that it could not be harvested by net and still sold in the shell but those people are not in the 'Diver Scallop' market. Since there is no legal definition, your definition is as good as my definition, just don't call my definition wrong. Over the years I have discussed this point may times with people in the seafood business and Chef's and my results are that 'Diver Scallops' are in the shell.Your results may be different and your results are as valid as mine.

I still would like some defintive word on why Maine scallops need to be shucked! -Dick

[Nick]

Nick. not to belabor the point but it is a very important point to us scallop lovers(you & me)........ Why? For the simple fact that if a scallop is shelled, to me it loses all tracebility. .....That is not to say that it could not be harvested by net and still sold in the shell .....

I still would like some defintive word on why Maine scallops need to be shucked! -Dick

Dick, I'll try to respond to your points. First of all I'm not necessarily a scallop lover. I used to work on scallop gear and years ago got my fill of scallops. Now, I get four or five pounds of 10-12's and freeze them. Shells on for "tracebility"? That baffles me. Has ISO 9000xx reached the scallop market and they come through with bar codes on the shells? Once again, they are not harvested with nets - it's drags, steel drags - unless they're harvested by divers. The ones with the shells on you insist on.

As far as, "I still would like some defintive word on why Maine scallops need to be shucked! " I attempted to answer that above when I wrote,

"I did a quick search and couldn't find anything related to landing scallops that haven't been shucked. I just called a friend who has spent his life fishing here and he thought there was a law that required shucking aboard the boat and that it came about many years ago when a big scallop bed was discovered off Portland. Apparently many big boats started dragging it and the scallops were so plentiful and so close to shore that the boats brought them in whole and offloaded them so they could head back out and catch more. There weren't enough people on shore to shuck them promptly and many, many scallops spoiled."

Since you appear to be a nuclear engineer I hope you read the various things that cross your desk more closely than you read things here.

I did call the DMR (Dep't of Marine Resources) today and was told that scallops have to be, by law, shucked aboard the boat. But I was unable to reach the person who could tell me how that law came about so I guess Raymond Carter's explanation above will have to be good enough for now.

Dick, you oughta loosen up. Maybe try to get to Varmint's next pig pickin' or something like that.

[fifi]

Gee Nick. You are getting quite a workout on this scallop thing. I feel fortunate to get good ones that have been frozen. That is ok with me because they are likely to be a better product than something that has been held over too long in shipping just to make the claim that they are "fresh". There is a thread here somewhere about my making Coquille St. Jaques for a dear friend's birthday. Our member, project, provided some guidance on the classic recipe that I followed. It was fantastic. The scallops were fantastic. They were tender and had wonderful flavor so I have a hard time thinking that divers scallops would be worth the money. Yes, I have had them, many times. I still don't get it. If I were at the dock and got them (sort of like we get shrimp off the boat down here) for a reasonable price, maybe.

[budrichard]

"I did call the DMR (Dep't of Marine Resources) today and was told that scallops have to be, by law, shucked aboard the boat. But I was unable to reach the person who could tell me how that law came about so I guess Raymond Carter's explanation above will have to be good enough for now."

Nick,

I can't run a Nuclear Power Plant on an explanantion that is good enough for now. I also am used to traceability(shells on for me).

I will try to loosen up if I appear tight!

I do appreciate your help in finding out why things are the way they are. Believe it or not, this inability to acquire scallops in the shell from Maine has been frustrating for a number of years. -Dick

[Dave the Cook]

Dick, I don't understand how shells provide traceability. Could you explain, please?

[fifi]

I can't run a Nuclear Power Plant on an explanantion that is good enough for now.

(Sorry, but finding that statement in a thread about scallops kinda got to my funny bone.)

Dave, I am wondering if the traceability issue is the issue of assuring that what you have is really scallops? Many years ago, some yahoos were importing chunks of meat punched out of stingray wings and trying to sell them as scallops. Stingray wings are really good for this scam because the texture and the muscle grain are really very similar. Electrophoresis was a new technique (I am dating myself here.) and I helped develop a diagnostic technique for identifying scallop juice versus stingray juice. Yes, we could have just cooked them and tasted them, because stingray doesn't taste like scallops. However, the prosecutors wouldn't take our word for it so we had to come up with "scientific proof".

I really don't know if scallop counterfitting is much of a problem today. Maybe it is.