scallops

[cinabun]

My husband really likes scallops, but I have never done them. What is a good way with a tasty sauce?

Are the small ones better than the larger ones, and why or not?

[Anneke]

Cinabun,
There was an excellent thread about scallops a while back. Have a look here first: scallop thread

[cinabun]

Thanks, only makes me avoid them tho. I have never seen any fresh ones here in the midwest-- so far from the sea!

[Steve1]

There are a number of different types of scallops. Calicos from Florida are small, sweet scallops that work well with a pasta. Nantucket scallops, when you can find them, are a medium to small scallop that are absolutely delicious. Sea scallops will be larger. They offer a good flavor and a nice plate presentation. Many scallops are treated with a preservative. Buy dry (untreated) scallops if you can find them.

One easy and delicious way to prepare scallops is th pan sear them. Rinse and dry the scallops while heating a little vegetable oil in a saute pan. Place the scallops in the hot pan and let them sit for a minute with the heat on high. When the scallops loosen from the pan, (they should be golden brown) flip them, turn the heat to medium, and cook until they are done to your liking.

A few easy sauces:

Heat some pesto and whisk in heavy cream

Saute onions, garlic in butter until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in orange jouce, fresh squeezed lime and simmer until it thickens slightly.

Roasted red peppers pureed in blender with a little chicken stock and season to taste

Satuee mushrooms, garlic, shallots in butter and white wine. Season with fresh thyme and parsely and finish with heavy cream.

Use your imagination and enjoy.

[Anneke]

Yum!

Cinabun, don't give up. It's next to impossible I think to get fresh untreated ones so do the best with what you can get.

That pesto one sounds pretty good. My advice, reduce your cream a bit first.

[Isa]

I have the following recipes:

From James Peterson's Fish & Shellfish:

Sautéed Scallops

Sauté-Steamed Scallops With Shallots, White Wine And Fines herbes

Braised Scallops With Tomatoes And Fresh Basil

Poached Scallops With Saffron And Lobster Butter

Scallops in Hot & Sour Thai Broth

Bay Scallops With Mushrooms

Bay Scallops With Spinach And Safron Cream

Bay Scallops With Smoked Salmon And Balsamic Vinegar

Scallops Yakitori

Scallops Kebab With Mint And Cilantro Yogourt Pesto

From Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger:

Crispy Scallops With Carrot Star Anise Syrup

Scallops On The Half Shell With Wasabi Lime Vinaigrette

[cape chef]

cinabun,
There are some very nice ideas here to consider.
I would consider this, Don't take this the wrong way.

Scallops, like everyother shell fish and mollusk benifites from as little tampering as humanly possible.

A great scallop should be very carefully seared, kept opac.
If you cannot get wonderful fresh scallops where you are, try something else. Then when you and your husband travel to a coast that offers you these sweet bay and ocean treats, chill come wine and then ask again.
with respect
cc

[cinabun]

Not to worry Cape Chef. I am open to any advice. Thanks folks, for all the imput, I will certianly take it all.

Given all the cautions, can an acceptable dish be made with the frozen scallops availble?

[Pete]

Cinabun, I see you are from Indiana-a neighbor of mine. How far from Chicago are you? If not that far, a trip into the city may be worthwhile, as there are a couple of fishmongers that carry decent scallops here.

As far as frozen scallops are concerned, they are definately not as good as fresh scallops and definately not as good as the dry packed scallops that everyone keeps mentioning, but unfortunately, the reality is that many people are in the same situation as you so here is the best way to handle them (much of it following the advice of other posts previous). This is the way I like to cook them, and is slightly different from some of the other posts. You will need to experiment and see which way you like best.

1. Let the scallops thaw naturally in the fridge. You do not want to thaw them at room temp as they will start to turn almost as quickly as they thaw. And definately do not let them sit under running water to thaw.
2. After thawing, let them sit in the fridge, uncovered for about 45 minutes to 1 hour on each side. This will help to dry them out.
3. Finish drying them off by covering them (top and bottom) with a paper towel. They will probably stick to it somewhat, just peel the paper towel off slowly.
4. Heat a saute pan. While this is working season the scallops with salt and pepper.
5. Add veg. oil to your pan and some butter. I allow my butter to brown deeply and the oil starts to smoke. Then I add my scallops. Not too many-for a standard 10" saute pan no more than 5 or 6.
6. Leave the scallops alone (don't play with them) for about 2 minutes or until you can see them starting to brown along the edges. Flip them and sear for 1-1 1/2 minutes more. (the second side will not brown as nicely as the first since you have cooled down the pan).

This will give you scallops that are MR-Medium depending on the size of the scallops. You may want to cook them a little longer if the flesh is not very firm due to the freezing.

[marmalady]

Why don't you try an on-line search for 'mail order scallops'; I've seen companies that overnight lobster and other seafood, maybe they do scallops too. Wouldn't it be neat for you to surprise your hubbie on Valentine's day with some?!!!

[cinabun]

Pete thanks a bunch!! I am about 75 miles south of Indy so a good distance from Chicago. We are headed to Lafayette this weekend but no further north.

Thanks for the tip I just may try that.
Marmalady--That may be a bit more of an expense than I can go but I WILL check into it.

thanks to you all

PS I did check a website called crabplace.com and found that that it appears that through the week they will ship 2 day ground free. ( Scallops are about 12-17 $ per pound.) I look to be just on the western edge of the free shipping area.
When they say they ship "fresh" what does that mean. Are they going to arrive frozen or what? Will they still have this perservative that you talked about?

[Pete]

Fresh should be an indication that they have never been frozen, but you never know without asking. As for fresh meaning chemical-free, I doubt it. Chemical-free scallops are usually marked as "dry" or "dry-packed". If they have a number I would call them first and ask your questions, and then maybe try them out. $12-$17 a pound is not bad for retail, as long as they are good quality. In my last restaurant, I was bringing in dry-pack scallops from Boston (these had been frozen, but still the best I have ever had) and my cost was around $96-$110 a gallon. That come out to being about$12-$14 per pound and that was before the overnight shipping. Two years ago I was paying $17-$21 a pound for Nantucket Bay Scallops, but they were the sweetest things I have ever eaten. We would just pop them into our mouths raw!!