help with scallops

[Chris_Blum]

@Stuart BeauneHead Niemtzow

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

Alton brown had a show about scallops a few years back. Check YouTube or foodtv. IIRC, he offered a workaround if you cannot get dry pack scallops.

[Ken_McNamara]

@Stuart BeauneHead Niemtzow

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.

That is so true Stuart! Once I was given the opportunity to be educated I find it very hard to go back in quality. Even most of the best restaurants do not have true dry scallops [and even top quality seafood] on their menu because they are not cost effective. DC’s BlackSalt seafood counter around '06 were selling them at $16.99 lb. now they are around $30 lb. I rarely buy them or any scallops at this point because of the price and then the second tier quality choice. Ignorance is truly blissful at times!

If you have preservatives then patting down becomes even more important to prevent the poaching you mention. They will also can implode and dry out. The former fishmonger at BlackSalt was a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and he really took his time to teach me some simple, but very effective tips when cooking and buying seafood. He suggested buying some of his and then from Wholefoods and told me to watch how they behave in the pan. His stayed firm and were so much sweeter.

I have never done it, but you might be able to rinse the preservatives out??

[Nancy_Dolce]

Have all of your other sides and wine ready to go. We will look for a full report and photos on Sunday!

[Chris_Blum]

I found that good eats episode. Pretty funny and has some good basic techniques.

Alton is summoned to Spamity Island to investigate a recent scallop attack.

- YouTube

[Bob_Wood]

Alton was ever so much more entertaining in those days despite the ridiculous schtick. I fondly remember when he made a smoker for ribs out of a gym locker. Watching him (I can only take about 90 seconds) on Iron Chef America is embarrassing.

[Chris_Freemott]

ribs out of a gym locker

I believe he made the gym locker smoker for bacon.

The other beautiful improv was the wardrobe box for fish smoking.

I don’t recall him smoking ribs - i only recall him doing an ‘improv’ where he steams them in foil and finishes on the grill…

I could be mistaken…

[Bob_Wood]

Ribs, bacon – it’s all the swine to me.

[Mark_A]

Thanks again!

[Marshall_Gelb]

@Chris Blum

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.

Chris; We made some beautiful, fresh, Long Island (15/16 to the pound) scallops last night and my method is literally exactly like yours. They were absolutely delicious with some sautéed kale with garlic.

Cheers!
Marshall

[Mark_A]

Dinner went well last night. Thanks to all of those who offered suggestions.

[Tom_Blach]

Just to note that while caramelised scallops are delicious it is absolutely not the only way to cook them and their flavour might well be purer when the natural sugars aren’t exaggerated. Poached gently in court bouillon then served with beurre blanc they are ravishing and much better suited to a fine white Burgundy.

[Stuart_BeauneHead_Niemtzow]

or poached in olive oil (or even butter)…as I often do…with some tarragon chopped in…works fine to keep the focus on the scallop rather than the caramelization/appearance.

That whole visual thing was/is fun to play with, but…easily risks overcooking…and can comoete with the delicacy of the dry scallop, rather than hilight it, IMO…I’ve mostly stopped trying it that way…

[Chris_Blum]

@Marshall Gelb

Chris; We made some beautiful, fresh, Long Island (15/16 to the pound) scallops last night and my method is literally exactly like yours. They were absolutely delicious with some sautéed kale with garlic.

Cheers!
Marshall

Awesome, buddy.
NYE is seafood night at the Blum house. Maybe not the feast of 7 fishes, but probably 4 or 5. I imagine scallops will make an appearance.

[cweaver]

The 50/50 butter olive oil is the way to go. I also pat dry the scallops, pre heat the griddle. I have a 1/4 thick griddle in the midde of my stove so I can cook a ton without the heat loss.Though, the family laughs about scallop flavored pancakes the next day… Cook em 2-3 mins a side. I feel that having everything ready, wine poured, sides ready for plating, garnishes and sauce within reach, makes the mad dash to the table easier.
Also, here is one of my favorite beurre-blanc sauces.

Pan Seared Scallops with Lime-Ginger Beurre Blanc

[Chris_Blum]

@Bob Wood

Alton was ever so much more entertaining in those days despite the ridiculous schtick. I fondly remember when he made a smoker for ribs out of a gym locker. Watching him (I can only take about 90 seconds) on Iron Chef America is embarrassing.

Yeah, the Japanese version was fun as camp, the American version is just embarrassing

[Michael_C1]

@Mark Alcorn

Dinner went well last night. Thanks to all of those who offered suggestions.

I know it’s kinda late to say this but my favorite technique for searing diver scallops is to make sure that the pan is piping hot first. One way to tell easily is that when you pour olive oil, there should be smoke. Remember to season the scallops before cooking.

Lay the diver scallops on the pan clockwise, starting at 12 o’clock. By the time you reach 6, it’s time to flip the one at 12, then 1, 2 etc. Literally 30 seconds on each side and remove the scallops from the heat. The middle should be clear while the edges are white. Although the scallop is not in the pan, the residual heat will cook the scallop through in the middle and this way it wouldn’t be rubbery.

This sear will give it a very nice brown crust on both sides while keeping the center supple and delectable. Bon appetit!

[Frank_Deis]

OK, if we are still chiming in – it looks like everyone said the same thing with minor variations. Instead of cooking diver scallops I often request that my neighbor make them as a first course for a nice meal, and then I bring the best white Burgundy in my cellar to go with them. And she asks at the fish counter for “dry scallops” and makes sure they are dry, scorches them to caramelize – and dusts them with a bit of high quality chili powder. You might think that would subtract more than it would add, but her additions really make the scallops taste more interesting, and they still go extremely well with some Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet.