Scallops are used in various types of cuisines around the world. These can be cooked in many ways including grilling, sautéing, broiling, stir frying, baking, etc and one can enjoy dozens of luscious scallop recipes. One must take care not to overcook them to enjoy the delicate moisture and texture as well as natural flavor.
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1. Scallop Recipes
For those who are queasy about the appearance of certain seafoods like crustaceans
(shrimp and lobster) and mollusks (oysters and mussels), the scallop has a more
welcoming appearance both with its brightly colored fan-shaped shell and the white
and round uniformly-shaped meat inside. The tender fleshy texture and ocean fresh
sweet flavor of these fresh mollusks are often enjoyed even by those not particularly
fond of seafood.
The Atlantic sea scallop caught off the waters of the northeastern United States and
eastern Canada makes up a significant percentage of the catch of this bivalve. The
remainder of the world production is divided among Japan and China which produce
both wild and cultivated scallops. Wild caught scallops are predominantly gathered
using dredges or bottom trawls though some countries still employ manual harvesting
methods, hand caught by divers from the ocean floor.
Environmentalists are more accommodating towards this more eco-friendly way of
gathering because dredges can damage underwater ecosystems by destroying coral
formations and catching other marine life not to mention immature scallops not yet
ready for consumption. Rampant unmonitored harvesting could deplete future
production of this widely popular and sought after seafood.
Scallops possess two types of meat namely the adductor muscle which is the white,
firm and meaty portion, and the soft white or red “roe”, also called the "coral".
Markets usually sell them with the adductor muscle still intact in the shell. This is a
more prized ingredient and is carefully prepared oftentimes using the shell in the
presentation. For mass production and export, scallops can be frozen without any
additives or treated with chemical salts that enable them to absorb moisture prior to
the freezing (thereby getting a better price per unit weight).
For raw dishes like ceviche and sushi, it is highly recommended to go for fresh. Same
goes for salad dishes and grills. Dried salted scallop called conpoy is widely used in
Cantonese cookery and is a main ingredient in X.O. (extraordinary) sauce combined
with other dried seafood, chili, garlic, onions and oil. It is a great flavoring for
vegetable, meat and fresh seafood dishes. When using this sauce which is savory,
sweet, salty and spicy all at the same time, go easy on the salt.
2. For western dishes, these are used in a wide variety of applications from soups to
appetizers to entrees. In countries with no coastline that have to rely on its
importation, these can be a pricey menu item and are often prepared with extra care
and gourmet ingredients.
Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
An excellent appetizer or side dish, this dish is quick and easy to prepare.
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ingredients:
20 prepared fresh scallops (or defrosted, frozen scallops), 3 tablespoons freshly
squeezed lemon juice, 20 strips of bacon, Salt, Freshly ground pepper, Tartar sauce
(optional)
Preparation Instructions:
Preheat the broiler to medium. Sprinkle the prepared scallops with the lemon juice.
Season with salt and pepper. Stretch the bacon a little, then wrap one piece around
each scallop. Run a toothpick through the bacon and scallop to keep the bacon in
place. Cook under the broiler for 5 minutes. Remove the scallops, turn, and cook for
another 5 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with tartar sauce, if desired.
3. Leeks and Scallops
This simple dish combines the classic flavors of sea scallops, leeks, white wine and
vermouth.
Difficulty Level: Average
Ingredients:
12 fresh scallops, 8 leek whites, 4 tablespoons butter, Sea salt, Pepper (freshly
ground), 2 shallots (minced), 2/3 cup dry white wine, ¼ cup dry vermouth, 2/3 cup
heavy cream, 1 bunch flat leaf parsley (chopped)
Preparation Instructions:
Remove the tough skin around the whites of the scallops. Wash under running water
and cut the scallops in half. Pat dry. Slice the leeks into long strips measuring about 2
in. in length. In a saucepan, place 2 tablespoons of butter, a little salt, ½ cup water,
and the leeks. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. In a separate saucepan, heat 2
tablespoons of butter until it melts. Sauté the shallots in the butter until tender. Add
the wine, vermouth, and scallops. When the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to
low and simmer for 2 minutes. With a slotted spatula or spoon, remove the leeks and
scallops from their pans and place on a serving dish. Combine the leek cooking liquid
and the scallop cooking liquid and boil until reduced to ½ cup. Add the cream and
bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the resulting sauce over the leeks
and scallops. Sprinkle with parsley.
4. Scallops with salsify and truffles
Seared sea scallops are always popular, and this illustrated video will show you, step-
by-step, exactly how to make them. It's simpler than you might think! Fresh Truffles
need to be prepared very carefully to ensure their unique properties are shown to full
advantage. Their subtle taste and aroma can easily be overwhelmed by strong flavors,
so as a general rule we recommend partnering Truffles with mild flavoured ingredients
such as pasta, rice, potato and egg.
Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Recommended Wine: Crozes Hermitage blanc
Ingredients:
6 scallops in the shell, 1 salsify (sometimes called “goatsbeard vegetable”) peeled and
blanched, 3 teaspoons shallots, 2 teaspoon red port, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons
fond blanc (white stock), 1 teaspoon truffle gravy, 1 small truffle, 1 egg yolk, dough
(flour and water), 4 teaspoons creme fraiche Decoration: rough salt, anise, roseberries
Preparation Instructions:
Brown the shallots in olive oil. Add port. Add cream fraiche and salsify. Season. Add
the stock and truffle gravy. Add diced truffle. Cook the scallops. Cover the bottom of
the scallop shell with salsify. Add some diced truffle, cream, and 3 scallops. Place some
diced truffle on top. Replace the upper shell. Prepare dough by mixing water and flour.
Glaze the dough with beaten egg yolk. Cover the shells with the dough. Bake for 6
minutes in a 400 degree F oven. Place the shell on a bed of rough salt, and decorate
with star-shaped anise and rose berries. Open the shell and serve.
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