Scallops

I guess the question is what do you mean by "what a mess" - did they come apart and end up a bubbling goop?  did they splash all over?  Did they taste awful?  How can we help you if we don't know exactly what happened.  You'd have to be more precise to understand what the problem is. 

i'd give you my sage advice, but the last time i answered a scallop question it seemed like guns over the bow were fired.....think Someday has it figured out though! i'l  give you a hint...pan, oil, heat.....oh, and patience...

joey

Sorry if my reply was badly worded Redvan.  Often when we have a problem it seems to be obvious to us what the problem was but there are tons of things that can go wrong so i couldn't figure out what exactly did go wrong

I think there was a thread not too long ago about wet and dry scallops and maybe someone can help you understand if the problem was with the type of scallop. 

I was in the states this summer and was able to buy them without spending an arm and a leg, and I don't recall any problem at all in sauteeing them.  They didn't stick at all, they got brown.  I just used a little film of oil in a nonstick pan. 

But the ones i used were definitely fresh, "dry" and firm. 

OK. Maybe I can help. The most common reasons I've seen for bad scallops are these: 1) pan; too hot, not hot enough 2) oil/butter; too much, not enough 3) quantity; too many in pan. I start with a hot pan; the smaller the scallop the hotter the pan. Next, I like to just use a very little oil or butter. I want nice color from good caramelization. Too much oil/butter will hurt that. Last, too many in a pan will cause a dome of heat/steam. That generally kills a good sear. 

I hope that helps. 

Red,

Since they are not in the pan long and require that high heat, I continously move my pan around as well.

Petals.

red,

ok so i couldn't resist....do you flour dredge your scallops? do you wash them? if you're washing them, don't, or at least pat them dry...scallops will absorb the water... i do a light dredge but was told recently that the trend nowadays is to cook naked( but they may have been referring to a dress code!)......personally i think the flour dredging helps with the color, moisture retention and not sticking to the pan...i don't dredge bay scallops, only sea scallops, as bay scallops take such little time and you don't need to especially if its part of a dish like tossed with pasta...lemon, garlic, basil, white wine...that sort of thing...when i cook sea scallops i don't move them or disturb the pan til its time to turn...as everyone else has said...wait til the oil in the pan is very hot.... and do not overcook!

joey

With my lower heat for larger scallops I'm talking "hot" vs "screaming hot". I try to match the time and heat with the size to give a nice sear color on a cooked scallop. I don't like "over-cooked", but I dislike raw even more. I wash my scallops first and then dry them as much as possible. Your "brown, sticky, gooey glop that formed in the bottom of the pan" is coming from some liquid reacting with the oil or butter. I think. I'll say again that I use very little oil or butter. Consider it like a condimental agent, not something for any real flavor. A scallop with a good sear will/should release from the pan, so there shouldn't be a need for a lubricant. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin', but I've never really gotten any good color/sear on anything from moving the pan around a lot. Another point I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin', is that for the price I pay for the quality of scallops that I like, I'm not dredging with anything. Maybe if I'm buying an economy scallop that needs some flavoring then OK, but not regularly. On a completely different reservation, a number of Asian dishes that include scallops do get dredging, but that is for the flavor I am trying to add. 

Well ... You learned one(1) guy's opinion, yeah mine. That's the way I like to do scallops. Please remember though, that I'm only one(1) of the many in entire scallop-eating world (as said in my cousin Vinny's voice), and there are many other valid opinions and techniques out there too. 

You're welcome, I'm glad I could help.

Some scallops need rinsing, some don't, but they ALL need to be dry before they hit the pan!

just curious red,

 what did you do with the milky white liquid the scallops came with? ok, next time save it/freeze it for something else..it's pure liquid juicy gold...freeze it to use in seafood chowders, or linguine with seafood or something..god, i just hate to see all that wonderfulness go down the drain.....tell me you didn't do that, right?...did you fiqure out the goo thingy ?

joey

 One reason for your outcome maybe wet pack scallops.  Scallops are usually sold as either wet or dry pack.  Wet pack scallops have been soaked in STP - sodium tripolyphosphate - an additive that helps them to retain moisture longer and gives them a longer shelf life.  Unfortunately, the liquid retention makes them more difficult to sear properly.  STP treated scallops are quite common and you can usually tell them if they are not marked because they are often sitting in a substantial pool of milky liquid.  They also tend to be more rubbery in texture.  Based on your description, it sounds like you got wet pack scallops.  If you want scallops that sear well, avoid the STP treated ones and buy dry pack.  They usually cost a bit more, but they are worth it.  And as others have mentioned, dry them well before cooking and use very little fat.

I would not retain the packing liquid on wet pac scallops, as it contains preservatives and assorted chemicals. Drain scallops rinse in cold water, let sit a while in collander or strainer then gently pat dry. I saute in clarrified butter so as to not have milk solids or water in the pan. Thepan is medium hot. Scallops should be cooked med-rare as overcooked they are not good.Remember after you remove from the pan they still cook a bit more. When you first put in pan don'ttouch till one side is done then turn and do other side.

Very difficult to find good scallops around here redvan.  Every once in a while I make the mistake and buy them and then regret it, as I did a few nights ago when I wanted to make seafood risotto.  They taste awful, just awful and I don't know where to get good ones so if you've found some really nice ones in the city or queens please share the name of the location.

Besides butter and olive oil scallops are destined to be seared in bacon fat. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by pohaku 

 One reason for your outcome maybe wet pack scallops.  Scallops are usually sold as either wet or dry pack.  Wet pack scallops have been soaked in STP - sodium tripolyphosphate - an additive that helps them to retain moisture longer and gives them a longer shelf life.  Unfortunately, the liquid retention makes them more difficult to sear properly.  STP treated scallops are quite common and you can usually tell them if they are not marked because they are often sitting in a substantial pool of milky liquid.  They also tend to be more rubbery in texture.  Based on your description, it sounds like you got wet pack scallops.  If you want scallops that sear well, avoid the STP treated ones and buy dry pack.  They usually cost a bit more, but they are worth it.  And as others have mentioned, dry them well before cooking and use very little fat.

Yeah, this is what i was talking about.  I think your goop is this.  Unclarified butter makes brown specks but I'd be hard put to see those as "goop"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koukouvagia 

Very difficult to find good scallops around here redvan.  Every once in a while I make the mistake and buy them and then regret it, as I did a few nights ago when I wanted to make seafood risotto.  They taste awful, just awful and I don't know where to get good ones so if you've found some really nice ones in the city or queens please share the name of the location.

 

Besides butter and olive oil scallops are destined to be seared in bacon fat. 

kk,

sorry, but please don't tell me you just said bacon fat...please!

joey
 

Naw, just wrap them in bacon
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by durangojo 

kk,

sorry, but please don't tell me you just said bacon fat...please!

joey
 

 

I have used bacon fat and it imparts a fairly nice but overpowering flavor. What I do not like about it is the low smoking point, It tends to burn quick in a hot or even med hot pan.

Costco eh?  The costco near me does not have a seafood section although they used to. 

Yes, bacon fat.  Or pancetta fat.  How american of me.