Scallops steam instead of sear

scallops need to be drained and patted dry before searing or this will happen. Also happens more when using previously frozen instead of fresh.

The biggest cause I've seen for this is too many scallops in the pan. They should have room.

    In addition to the good advice above, I would suggest trying to find a better source for the scallops.  Do you have any places that sell sashimi grade fish?  If so...you may want to try there. 

It's quite a simple procedure. Put your pan on a high fire with some sunflower oil (or any other neutral oil). Wait, and hold the open palm of your hand 1 inch above the pan. It needs to feel quite hot before adding the scallops; even to the point that the oil spreads a light smoke. Only then put them in, one at a time. Cook for no longer than 10 seconds, turn them (start with the one you put in first, etc.) and cook for another 10 seconds. Remove immediately from the pan.  

 

Frozen scallops; defrost and dry carefully, you may have to cover them in papertowel.

It indicts scallops that were treated with chemicals such as phosphate or plumped with water or "floated" in brackish or fresh water, which makes them take on water. Dry packed scallops and proper technique should eliminate any problem.

Dried off scallops + hot pan + oil film + 1"-2" space between scallops = Seared scallops

Sounds also like there could be a lack of heat. Pan could be oversized compared to the induction heating zone. Pan might not be compatible enough with the induction cooktop. By which I mean it's a little bit magnetic, but not enough to really heat up properly.

 

Cooktop could be under powered or  faulty.

I can't add much to what others have said, except to suggest using an iron skillet instead of stainless (or whatever your friend is using now). It could take as long as 10 minutes for the pan to get to the proper temperature.

Non-searing of scallops is almost always a result of using non-dry scallops.

 

In my experience (which seems to run counter to what others imply), no amount of drying "conditioned" scallops will allow them to sear. As soon as they hit the heat they start releasing more liquid. Stands to reason, as, depending on packer, as much as 30% of the weight in treated scallops is in added liquid.

Might it help to allow them to stand, uncovered, in the refrigerator for an hour or so before cooking?

It's worth a try, Granny. But I'm not very confident. Dry packed is the only way to assure proper searing. Alas, I've never seen them available in central Kentucky.

Dry pack scallops are the only way to go, and forget about getting them most places.

I generally get them frozen from Costco. And they say they're dry packed and I've not had trouble searing them. Might look into Costco.

The only place I've seen good ones is at the Winn Dixie in Pikeville, but that's quite a hike. They had wonderful froglegs, too, almost as big as chicken legs..

Unfortunately, not all of us have easy access to dry-pack scallops.  I used to when I lived in Chicago, but here, in the middle of Wisconsin, it is quite a drive to get them.  So second best is to follow the advice above.  One thing I do, is as I dry them between sheets of paper toweling is to slightly weigh them down.  This will help expell some of the moister.  Then I use a mix of 2/3's oil and 1/3 butter.  The butter helps to brown them some.  And then only a couple in the pan at one time.  Even if cooking up a bunch of them, it doesn't take long as scallops cook pretty quickly. 

Most Chefs are going to scream at me and tell me to" get back in the pastry shop" BUT, if you strain and dry

the scallops then dust them with a little cornstarch they brown up fine. By dusting, I mean putting the starch

in a towel and tapping, not rolling them.

I can still see my grandmother doing this.

pan

If they include sodium tripolyphosphate as an ingredient, they're wet pack. You should have dry pack in that Sam's package.

Any time that you are looking at scallops (that are not presently frozen) in a store, look for moisture underneath them. If there is much in the way of moisture, they have been treated with something.

My first actual post on this site, but I've read somewhere (or heard somewhere) that Dry pack scallops will be kind of a ivory or beige color, while wet pack will be bright white.

     If you have the opportunity to buy some really good scallops, buy them.  Even if you're thinking the price is way too high.  The trick is...just buy one or two.  Take them home and cook it/them to get a good reference.  Ok, now I've had what I know to be high quality scallops, my next task is to find a supplier who can offer me quality scallops for a lower price.  But get your reference.

 

  Dan

Agreed. I always used to have this problem before I started drying them. I just pat them with paper towel and slightly squeeze them to get the moisture out.

We had some beautiful dry-pack scallops at work last night. Just had to pull them out of the bag, season with a little s&p, into a hot oiled pan, voila, a magnificent seared scallop. No drying, squeezing, flouring, cornstarching, paper toweling, whatever, required.

DIdn't see anyone mention that scallops should never be soaked to be cleaned. If you soak them they absorb water and plump. Then cook poorly and possibly cause that issue with them releasing water. But generally if anything released water you've either over crowded your pan or your pan isn't hot enough.

The Whole Foods in Willowbrook swears their scallops are drypack.

 

I've almost never had them since my wife is violently allergic to them... and she loves 'em. 

 

If I get scallops for dinner, we have to make a completely different dinner for her, so- not very often.

 

Mike

I always loved scallops but a few years ago, I noticed an metalic taste that seemed to get worse every time I bought more. 

 

I thought it might be the iodine in my salt so went to sea salt.  Didn't help so I quit buying them. 

 

Learned about the dry pack issue on line about a year ago and bought some at Sam's Club. The bag didn't say anything about phosphate in the ingredients so I thought they'd be dry pack.  Don't know if they'd have browned because I steamed them for dipping in seasoned butter.    But the metalic taste was still there. I read on line that the FDA doesn't require preservatives for hydration to be listed in the packaging so there really is no way to tell before buying and cooking them.

 

I called Sam's Club and was put on the line with their buyer who said he'd never heard the term "dry" as opposed to "wet" scallops but he'd check into it and call me back.  He did and told me that they would be watchful of this issue with their sources for scallops and to try again in a month. 

 

So I bought some a month later and they were wonderful!  I broiled, seared, steamed and they were delicious.  I've never eaten red meat so I have scallops and shrimp several times a week.  Then last night  the metalic taste came back.  Maybe someone at Sam's coroprate couldn't pass up a "good deal"?   

 

With some of the scallops I cooked last night, I tried soaking out the chemicals in water and then drying them between towels under a couple of heavy books. There was no difference.  If anything, the awful taste was even stronger.

 

 Sad because the scallops looked beautiful and probably were before they were "treated" to keep us safe from spoiled seafood.  I'm in Ohio and all the available seafood is "fresh frozen" or "previously frozen".  There is a way to freeze without the phosphates but the retailers just want the profit of the added water weight.

Wet or dry, I never have a problem with them. You can flour them, use butter, etc but the only thing that matters is getting the pan hot. Put about a teaspoon quantity of oil in the pan and even cover the pan and then drain as much oil as you can. Then put it on high heat until the pan smokes. In the meantime, cover your scallops with oil and a little dash of salt/pepper and then put them in. They won't take long to cook. 

 

 

I with KYH on this. Dry pack are the only way to go otherwise there is just too much liquid from the chemicals they are treated with. As far as using the induction top I have so little experience with those cooktops and I think that is probably a big part of the issue you are dealing with. Using an incorrect pan as Phatch said probably is not helping the situation.