Scallops - Dry Pack Sea Scallops

Sizes and prices vary. Sea scallops are usually from New Bedford, MA, which is the largest sea scallop port. Though ours are dry, you will often find them wet (which means they are soaked in a preservative & water which whitens the scallop and extends shelf life. The water adds weight, which you of course would pay for). Often the treated ones will look artificially shiny, opaque and flabby and will have a soapy feel and aftertaste. The wet scallops will also release more liquid and shrink more when cooked. Our scallops are the dry scallops which means they are not treated with preservatives. The dry scallops will have much more flavor than the wet scallops. U10 Sea scallops are the largest available and have a sweet, rich taste . When raw, the drum-shaped meat should have an ivory translucence and elastic springiness that allows them to keep their shape. The cooked meat is opaque white with a firm, lean texture. Availability: Year round, best time is June - Oct. Cooking Methods: Baked, Broiled, Fried, Grilled, Poached, Steamed or Sautéed. Cooking Tips:There may be a small muscle attached to the scallop - this should always be removed. They are edible raw. Though sea scallops are large, they will cook quickly. When cooking in butter or oil, don't put them in the pan till the pan is already very hot. They will brown almost immediately. Figure about 2-3 minutes per side for sea scallops. Don't overcook as they will become tough, stringy and lose flavor. Nutrition Information: Serving size: 100g/3.5 oz. (raw) Calories: 87 Fat Calories: 7 Total Fat: 0.8 g Saturated Fat: 0.1g Cholesterol: 36 mg Sodium: 87 mg Protein: 16.2 g Omega-3: 0.2g

To cook scallops

Heat a nonstick sauté pan over a high heat, and add a tablespoon of clarified butter (or raw, unsalted butter) and a tablespoon of vegetable oil. The oil/butter mixture needs to be very hot before you add the scallops — you should actually see just the tiniest bit of smoke. Place the scallops flat-side down in the hot pan. Don't overcrowd the pan, or this will lower the pan temperature, causing the scallops to be steamed rather than seared.

Another important tip: Once you've placed the scallops in the pan, resist the urge to touch them! If you give in and move the scallops around the pan, you will only prevent them from forming the nice brown crust that you want. Be strong!

Because of variation in scallop thickness, pan temperatures and so on, it's not easy to pinpoint an exact cooking time. But after a couple of minutes, it's OK to check  underneath. If you see a nice, caramel-colored crust on the underside, they're ready to turn.

Scallops are very easy to overcook. The scallops should be removed from the pan and served while their centers are still slightly translucent (you can check this by viewing them from the side), because they'll continue to cook after you take them off the heat. The scallops should still be springy if you press them with your thumb. If they are very firm or stiff, they're already overcooked. Scallops start to turn rubbery if you wait too long to serve them, so get them on the plate right away. You will want to serve them with the beautiful caramel-colored crust facing up!

If you like, you can melt a bit more butter and even add some minced garlic in the pan and drizzle it across the scallops right before serving. I personall prefer our Seven Seasons and our Everything Seasoning on scallops. Enjoy!

http://www.canstockphoto.com">(c) Can Stock Photo

For recipes on scallops go to: http://baylobsters.com/index.php?option=com_garyscookbook&Itemid=55&func=viewcategory&id=46

For recipes on scallops go to: http://baylobsters.com/index.php?option=com_garyscookbook&Itemid=55&func=viewcategory&id=46

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