1/5/2024 0 Comments Scallop recipesServe them with a beautiful salad and some crusty bread, or with some mashed potatoes on the side and a green vegetable.Delicate: Pan-seared sea scallops. Returning the scallops to the pan allows them to get coated with the sauce and have a quick little re-heat. Remove them to a plate, cover loosely with foil and make your sauce. They should feel firmer than when you started (which means you should also give them a tender push when you start to sear them so you have something to compare to), but not like rubber. When you think your scallops are cooked, give them a tender push in the center to test them. If it isn’t, you didn’t let your pan get hot enough first. That should be enough time to get some nice color on the outside of the scallop. Let the scallops sit in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes per side (depending on how big they are). Add the oil and butter (butter for flavor, oil so that the butter doesn’t burn) and place your scallops in the pan only when the pan is super hot. Other than that, make sure your scallops look firm and opaque rather than shiny, and if they get the chance, they should smell like the sea, not like something that was in the sea many many days ago! With your scallops in hand, you’ll just need a good pan – cast iron or a non-stick skillet will work – and just a quick 15 minutes to prepare this dish. You’ll be able to identify them by looking for scallops that are slightly pink rather than bright ivory and of course, you could ask your fish monger for dry scallops. You end up paying for water weight and that water will be released in the pan when you cook them, preventing a good sear on the surface. Wet scallops have been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate, which turns them very white in color and enables them to absorb water, which they do, making them plump and heavy (more weight = more $$), but not more flavorful. When placed on a paper towel, they should not release much, if any water. Dry scallops are scallops that have not been treated with additives or preservatives. Buy “dry scallops” rather than “wet scallops”. Whichever you choose, there is one important thing to look for when you’re buying scallops. They are, of course, also more expensive. What is nice about diver scallops is that they are thought to be more ecologically conscious (or at least those who eat them are) because the divers who harvest them choose only larger scallops, leaving the smaller scallops to continue to populate. They are not a set size, but range from 10 to 30 per pound. These are scallops that are harvested by hand by divers (makes sense). They are easy to prepare and sauté, getting a nice sear on the outside without over-cooking, leaving the center of the scallop medium-rare or medium, just like a steak (or more cooked if that’s what you prefer).įinally, you might see diver scallops at the market. These are the large U/10 or U/15 scallops that you’ll see at most restaurants. That is what is called for in this recipe. The largest scallops you’ll find at the store are called sea scallops. I use bay scallops in a seafood stew, tossing them into the stew at the last minute with the shrimp. They come from bays along the East coast and are usually not great for sautéing because they are so small that they get over-cooked and tough very quickly. The smallest of these are called bay scallops and they are also classified as 70/120 scallops (between 70 and 120 scallops per pound). There are three types of scallops that you’ll usually see in a grocery store or fish counter. (Those are the nice big scallops we’re after.) For instance, “U/10 scallops” means under 10 scallops per pound. Sometimes there’s a “U” thrown into the title and it means “under”. One pound of 20/30 scallops will give you between 20 and 30 individual scallops. So, if you order one pound of 16/20 shrimp, you’ll get between 16 and 20 little crustaceans. The numbers associated with them refer to how many you would get if you ordered one pound. Scallops are categorized by size – just like shrimp. The first thing to consider is what you are buying. Deal! You just need to know a few things before you start – how to buy scallops and how to NOT over-cook them. So, let’s make a vow together now… next time we’re in the mood for seafood, we’re going to consider scallops as a good option. It’s true, they are not the cheapest food to put on the table, but good seafood is rarely inexpensive. Why don’t I buy scallops more often for dinner? They are easy to cook, quick to prepare and versatile enough to handle an infinite number of different sauces. They are usually something that I see on a restaurant menu, rather than on my own dinner table, and yet they are so easy to make that I really wonder why.
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