bitter scallops

[Tish Desloges]

I made scallops by sauteing them in butter, olive oil and garlic. They came out tasting very bitter. What did I do wrong?

[Suzanne]

Possibly nothing. Some scallops are sold "wet" -- coated in a chemical solution. That might have been what you tasted. (Yeah, yeah, they'll tell you that it's tasteless, but almost NOTHING is totally tasteless. )

Try rinsing the scallops in salt water next time and pattingthem dry on paper towels before cooking them.

Then again -- how dark did you cook the garlic? If you let it get really dark, it might have burned, and that gives the whole dish a bitterness.

[shahar]

I second the first reply.

Also. I prefer washing them in cornstarch water(any pure starch will do). Just blend the starch in COLD water. soak the scallops in that for a few minutes and strain, rinse, strain, rinse, strain. Dry in paper towels.

[NancyR]

Does soaking the scallops in cornstarch water affect the sand? I have had many scallop dishes ruined because of embedded sand--I've washed the scallops but the sand is inside. Any suggestions?
Nancy

[shahar]

yep. That would help with the sand

[mudbug]

Besides the quality of the scallop. Timing and temperature of cooking scallops is critical. They are not forgiving. "As soon as they loose their translucency and turn opaque, they are done."

This might help: Scallop Preparation and Cooking Tips

[Pete]

To expand on something Suzanne said, try and locate "dry pack" scallops. They are far superior to the other "wet" ones, though the term "wet" is not used really. Most scallops are treated with a chemical. The process turns them pearly white but it also makes them take on water thus shrinking when cooked and not being able to get a really good sear on them. "Dry packs" are not treated and you can usually tell them from treated scallops because they are not pure white, usually they have a yellowish tinge to them or sometimes even pink and they will feel somewhat dry and sticky to the touch. As for taste, "dry packs" are greatly superior. They just taste more "scallopy" and I think treated scallops have a distinct metallic taste to them. They also sear up more nicely and won't shrink half as much.

[MikeLM]

I asked the fishmonger at our local Whole Foods about his source for scallops and he delivered quite a lecture on the superiority of the "dry-pack" scallops which, according to him, is the only kind they will carry.

And, theirs are REALLY good!

Mike