Ingredients

Scallop

Other Names: Queen scallop: Akazaragai (Japanese); bunte kammuschel (German); canestrello, pettine (Italian); golondrina (Spanish); leque (Portuguese); tiganáki, kténi (Greek); volandeira (French). Great scallop: Cappasanta, ventaglio (Italian); concha de peregrino, pétoncle (Spanish); coquille St. Jacques (French); hotategai (Japanese); pilger-oder Jakobsmuschel (German); pilgrim’s scallop; tarak (Turkish); viera (Portuguese). Bay scallop: Canestrello americano, ventaglio (Italian); itayagai (Japanese); karibik-Pilgermuschel (German); peine caletero (Spanish); piegne baie de l’Atlantique, pecten (French); vieira de baía (Portuguese). Pectinidae.

General Description: Scallops are bivalve mollusks with large, hard, white shells marked by radiating ribs and concentric growth rings. The entire scallop is edible, but it is the marshmallow-shaped adductor muscle that hinges the two
shells, called the “nut,” that is eaten. The decorative scallop shell is featured in Botticelli’s famed painting The Birth of Venus.

The sea scallop (Plactopecten magellanicus) is the largest and the most important type of scallop. They are primarily harvested by dredging and are shucked on board, because scallops cannot hold their shells closed once they are out of the water and quickly lose moisture and die. However, dragging can damage the scallop population and all shellfish in the path. Harvesting sea scallops individually by divers is less destructive; these are known as diver scallops. In Europe, it is more common to find live scallops in their shells with their desirable bright orange roe for sale and on menus.

The small soft, fleshy, and delicately sweet bay scallop (Argopecten irradians_) lives in bays and estuaries from New England to the Gulf of Mexico. The Nantucket bay scallop (Pecten irradians_) has exquisitely delicate sweet flavor and firm, resistant texture. They are dredged using small day boats, with a daily 5 bushel limit, hand-opened, and rushed to markets, where they fetch a high price. Until the 1980s, Nantucket’s bay scallop fishery thrived. Unfortunately, catches have been in decline in the past twenty years, and no one knows why. Calico scallops (A. gibbus_) are quite small and can be a bit rubbery if cooked more than briefly. On the West Coast, the small and lovely pink scallop (_Chlamys rubida) and spiny scallop (C. hastata) are similar, though the pink scallop has prominent ruffles on its ribs. Both are eaten whole, either steamed or raw.

Locale and Season: Sea scallops are harvested in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Iceland, Japan, New England, Newfoundland, and Russia. They are dredged year-round from
Labrador to New Jersey with spring and summer peak season. Diver scallop season is from November 1 to April 15. Bay scallops are harvested from Maine to the Carolinas and are in season from October through January and April through May. Nantucket bay scallops are in season from November 1 through early January. Fresh calico scallops, from the southern Atlantic coast, are available from December through May. Pink and spiny scallops are harvested in Washington and British Columbia and are available year-round except for spawning season in summer.

Characteristics: Sea scallops are commonly sized at 20 to 40 to the pound, though much larger scallops are sold (at a
much higher price). Raw scallops will be creamy white to pink-beige and females may be tinted orange. Bay scallops average 60 to 90 meats per pound and are usually expensive, with sweet flavor and delicate texture. Nantucket bay scallops are commonly sized at 30 to 40 to the pound and are in high demand. Calico scallops are quite small, 70 or more
meats per pound, and are heat-treated onshore for shucking, causing their tips to turn opaque white. Pink scallops may be chewy but have sweet flavor. Scallops are sometimes eaten raw or cured in ceviche, but anyone with a compromised immune system should avoid doing so.

How to Choose: The fresher the scallop, the more translucent it will be. Dragged scallops may be gray and are often soaked in a chemical solution to preserve them. These “wet” scallops will be flabby and opaque and will shed
excess liquid as soon as they hit the pan. Dry-packed (untreated scallops) in a muslin bag are best. Scallops that grow in a fast-water current will have firm flesh with very little grit; those from areas with little water movement can be soft and grainy. Choose bay scallops with firm and moist texture, avoiding those that are slippery or spongy or have an unpleasant smell.

Storage: Store shucked scallops refrigerated up to 2 days. Cover live scallops with a damp towel, refrigerate, and use at
most one day later. A healthy live scallop should close tightly when tapped. Scallops freeze well.

Preparation:

1. If any shell bits or grit is visible, just before cooking
rinse quickly under cold water and pat dry.

2. Pull off the thin rubbery band wrapped one third of the way around the scallop. Remove and discard the dark intestinal vein often attached to the band.

3. Broil, skewer for kebobs, stir-fry, bake, bread or batter and deep-fry, sauté, steam, microwave, hot-smoke,
use for chowder or stews, or use for sushi and ceviche.

Suggested Recipe: Bay Scallop Ceviche with Truffle Oil (serves 6): Combine 3/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup orange juice,
2 minced serrano chiles, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Mix half the dressing with 1 pound trimmed fresh bay scallops or cut-up sea scallops. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours and then drain off and discard all liquid. Mix scallops with the remaining dressing, 1/4 cup diced red onion, 2 chopped tomatillos, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, and 3 tablespoons truffle oil and serve.

Flavor Affinities: Avocado, brandy, cilantro, cream, garlic, lemon, lime, mango, olive oil, papaya, sweet corn, sweet potato, tarragon, thyme, tomato, vinegar, white wine.

from Quirk Books: www.quirkbooks.com

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