I have some scallops being overnighted from Browne Trading for dinner on Saturday. I’ve made scallops once, but I don’t want to ruin these.
What is your favorite way to prepare scallops? e.g., basil pesto, butter, etc…
How do I know when they are done?
I am planning on using a cast iron pan for the searing. If this is not the way to do it, let me know.
Thanks,
Mark
A link to my favorite scallop recipe. Carmelized Bay scallops by Daniel Boulud …
http://www.starchefs.com/chefs/DBoulud/bay_scallops_d_boulud.shtml
When they are white on the inside and slightly browned on the outside, they are done. If they are transparent at all, they are not done.
Hi Mark,
I actually find that my stainless steel pan gives a better sear than my cast iron, or if you have a copper skillet that may be the way to go. Perhaps I just have bad technique in the cast iron.
I usually just throw butter in the pan and put a pretty good sear on one side at high heat, flip and finish. If you have 10ct/lb big day boat scallops 2-4min on the first side and 2-3min on the second side usually does it. If you have Nantucket Bay scallops on the other hand they are smaller and require a different preparation, and generally you don’t sear those but you can sautee them much the same way.
As for sauces, I usually do a beurre blanc sauce with sage, lemon & tarragon or dill but there are all different ways you can go with the finishing. The most important part of your prep is to be clear on what type of scallops you have so you know how to prepare them.
Saute in clarified butter. Do not overcrowd the pan. They will stick to the pan for a bit, then release on their own. If you have to use a spatula to scrap them off the pan, you’ll lose the caramelized crust.
diver scallops
Random tips…
Make sure that they are dry before hitting the pan. Dry em on a tea towel or paper towel.
Fat…we go 50/50 butter olive oil mixture
Too much Fat in the pan will screw up your caramelization. You can always “finish the dish” with more butter at the end to make a pan sauce.
I use cast iron because I have a blast furnace for a stovetop and it distributes the heat better after it heats up.
We often serve scallops w crackled sweet corn that I sauteed w minced onion and red pepper then caramelized brown.
I always cook on side one, the longest to get some nice color!! the flip and finish. The opaqueness should be about 1/3 down when you flip then a quick hit on side two. You know these things are close to sushi grade. Get them on a “warm” service plate too!! soon othwerwise they will over cook if you leave them in the pan.
Pretty much what everyone else said.
Stainless works for me, don’t try to move them until they come off on their own. I use a high heat oil to start (canola etc), can finish with butter. When they are browned on both sides, they are more than likely done. When I can get basil, I like to make a dry pesto (just with some garlic and salt), slice them partway, and put it in there. Otherwise just finish with lemon.
They will need very little added flavor. Butter, salt I like a little lemon for the acidity. Sear. Plate -Open Gran Cru Chablis - done.
Getting them dry is very important to the sear.
George
Thanks for the responses. They are much appreciated.
Personally, I’ve had too much trouble sauteeing them to a proper doneness (and recipes for “bay” scallops have almost nothing to do with these.) So, recently, I’ve taken to poaching them in olive oil/butter…with some herbs. It preserves their delicacy, etc…without toughening them, which is always a risk with “dry” scallops.
I am in Maine now…and see what’s being harvested locally…they are relatively small…and easier to mess up by sauteeing. Also, I’ve never seen “diver” scallops show up in any seafoord market in Maine…maybe they don’t go there. They would be easier to cook right.
good luck
The stuff you are likely getting from Browne’s is likely the local, “dry” scallop. Very delicate.
“”
Stuart;
Enjoy the snowstorm 
. Browne has them advertised on their site (http://shop.brownetrading.com/products/maine-diver-sea-scallops) as “diver” scallops and so that is on what I base my statement. I realize just because they state they are diver scallops does not make them such.
All, again, thanks for the ideas and direction.
They claim 10/lb (ie U10), which is relatively big, so the sear on both sides til brown method should work fine.
A few observations…
doneness : People too often pull them from a very cold fridge, saute them on a med-high temp and pull them when the outside is browned… and are surprised when the inside is cool. Do this: pull them from the fridge about 30 mins prior to cooking so they warm a bit. Dry them. Use medium heat. You need to brown them, but they also need to spend enough time on heat to let the heat cook the interior.
Doneness part 2: DO NOT OVER COOK them. I prefer mine done to what on beef would be medium to medium rare. The key here is that the entire scallop should be warm. The center, if slightly rare, should still be cooked and warm. This presumes they’re very fresh.
Technique: Clarified butter or a butter/olive oil mix. Not pure, regular butter as that might burn. A little salt and pepper on each side. That’s it.
Cast-iron vs steel/copper: Cast iron retains heat so will not cool much when you plop them in. However it reacts poorly to acids and unless very clean can have black bits. I mention acids because if you want to deglaze the pan with a touch of white wine or lemon cast iron (unenameled) isn’t the best choice. Personally I use a saute pan when building a pan sauce and so that’s what I’d use for scallops of you want to deglaze, add a bit of butter and herbs and use that as a sauce.
Lots of good advice here, but (I think Rick is suggesting this) I would definitely error on the side of slightly underdone rather than overcooking them. The quality from Browne Trading should be top notch.
This time of year, I am partial to a bit heavier dishes - Coquilles Saint-Jacques (Bourdain’s Les Halles recipe is a good one) or the Oyster Bar Pan Roast recipe (on the NYT site).
Absolutely. Keep in mind that a pre-heated pan on medium heat will easily cook the scallops (sea at least) in 2-3 mins per side.
Mark, you have some good advice here. Get the pan hot first. Then add your fat (oil, butter combo). One side will have more of a sear than the other for proper done eas. DO NOT OVERCOOK.
As long as you’ve mail-ordered scallops, next time mail-order kaffir lime leaves, and infuse a buerre blanc sauce with them. Sublime. I’ll e-mail you re: that technique.
The funny thing is that where we are…the ocean is across the street…got less than an inch…mostly rain. As far as I can tell, the warmest spot in Maine.
Re: diver scallops…I have no reason to doubt the blurb you linked…and at $35/lb plus shipping…they are 2-2 1/2 times what the “regular” dry scallops are going for here, so…they sound right. My point is that I’ve never seen such things for sale in markets in Maine. I’m sure they exist, though. (FWIW, in Maine, all scallops must be harvested/de-shelled at sea. No scallop shells of any kind are allowed into the docks. I think it’s about maladies to the fishing stock the shells can create. (Other states are different, MA allows them.) So, it’s a matter of who shucks them…divers or deckhands.
Report back, please. Good luck.
One more tip is to remove the muscle on the side, it will always be tough. It easily peels off. Better quality scallops usually have the muscles on them. I prefer to sear in grape seed oil because of the higher smoking point. This allows getting the pan much hotter equating to 90’ to 2" per side. Once flipped throw some butter in the pan.
Patting them dry and not crowding the pan are the two most important techniques of getting a good sear like others mentioned. Anything you sear will release from the pan when it is ready, so if you cannot turn the scallop without it sticking then it is not time to be turned. No need to force it just wait a little.
If you are preparing a lot then try grilling them. We hosted a tasting for eight and needed to cook 50 scallops at the same time. However, you can’t get a good crust if you put them directly on the grates, so use a flat grill pan.
The better quality the product the less is required. Sea salt and pepper before searing is all you need. My favorite is to serve with a grilled corn, grape tomatoes, basil and olive oil salsa over top of them and Chablis!
I can’t think of any other seafood that you really get what you pay for more than scallops. The best tip when buying scallops, told to me by a local fishmonger, is to find out how much preservative are in them. The FDA allows a certain amount even though the supplier can say there is none. Wholefoods claims to not have preservatives, but the milky white liquid they are siting in at the counter is an indicator of probably sodium tripolyphosphate. There are a handful of wholesalers that provide no preservative, I think “Viking” is one. You can actually see the difference when searing and of course taste it.
With lesser scallops make truffle dusted scallops over cauliflower puree with red wine reduction. None of the recipe is challenging.
If you don’t want to mess up on Saturday then buy some cheaper scallops even from frozen and practice.
Good luck!
The best tip when buying scallops, told to me by a local fishmonger, is to find out how much preservative are in them. The FDA allows a certain amount even though the supplier can say there is none. Wholefoods claims to not have preservatives, but the milky white liquid they are siting in at the counter is an indicator of probably sodium tripolyphosphate. There are a handful of wholesalers that provide no preservative, I think “Viking” is one. You can actually see the difference when searing and of course taste it.
For me, scallops with ANY preservative are an entirely different ingredient. They poach rather than sear, no matter how much one tries to dry them. And, the taste is affected, too…
At this point, given that I go to Maine a few times a year, I won’t even touch/buy the ones with any milky white stuff near them. (My wife once asked in Maine if they had “dry” scallops at market; they looked at her like she was nuts; they know/sell no other kind locally; she was mad at me for making her ask…oh, well). Outside of Maine/New England…I stay away from those kinds and scallops, in general, as the only “dry” ones that make it to Philadelphia are the “diver” scallops, which are out of my comfort zone, cost wise.
Totally unrelated, but last night we bought and cooked some filets of “John Dory”, which I’d never done before. That fish is really a “wow”…and more. The fish place says it is a byproduct of the squid fishery…so there is no consistent supply, unfortunately.