We took a trip to Cape Cod this past fall where I had the most delicious scallops I think I’ve ever eaten. The first night I ordered them, they were served over polenta with a red pepper sauce and greens. The second time I ordered scallops they were served with clams and pasta with a light lemon sauce. Both were sweet, buttery, and delicious! I came home knowing I needed to try to make them myself.
So, I set out on my quest to find good sea scallops but ran into a small problem – finding fresh, dry-pack scallops in Pittsburgh is a bit difficult.
What do I mean by a dry-pack scallop? There are 2 ways you typically find scallops; “dry pack” or “wet pack”.
The most common way you will find scallops in your grocery store is called “wet pack”. This means they are soaked in brine and then frozen. The brine causes the scallops to pick up moisture, and weight, so when you cook them, they shrink and often they end up tough and chewy. T
Dry-pack scallops are not soaked in a brine. They are frozen without any water added. Because they don’t have any water or chemicals added they tend to be more flavorful and much easier to cook with. You may have to go to a specialty seafood shop to find them.
I did find delicious, dry-pack jumbo scallops at Penn Avenue Fish Co. in the Strip District. The day I bought them they weren’t busy so Kyle, the fishmonger, had time to tell me all about the various fish they had in the case that day and I learned that these scallops were fresh from New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Dry-pack scallops are often expensive and a treat. Knowing how to cook them is important. They are easy to cook if you know a few simple tricks.
Here are a few things to remember:
- Dry the scallops off with a paper towel before cooking. Get as much moisture out of them as you can.
- If you do buy brined scallops, soak them for about a half-hour. This will help to remove some of the brine. Then dry them really well before cooking.
- Trim the muscle off the side of the scallop before cooking. Often the person at the fish counter will do this for you if you ask.
- When you are ready to cook them, heat the pan with some oil before you add the scallops. It is important to make sure the pan is really hot before adding your scallops
- Place your scallops in the pan (don’t overcrowd them) and leave them alone until you can pick them up with tongs without sticking. You will have a beautifully seared scallop.
- Flip them and allow them to sear on the other side for about 2 minutes more, depending on their thickness.
- Scallops cook quickly, and you don’t want to overcook them or they will be tough.
I made a lemon rosemary sauce to go over them and on the pasta. It took a few tries to get the sauce just right but I think I finally landed on a balanced sauce with just enough lemon and a hint of rosemary. If you try it, let me know what you think!
Why are Scallops A Good Choice?
Aside from their buttery, mild flavor, scallops are a good choice because their nutritional profile is so good. They are low in fat and high in protein. One 3 oz serving has about 95 calories and 17g of protein. They are rich in the antioxidant selenium which may help protect from inflammation in our brain and heart and contain magnesium, zinc, and potassium.
While they are a type of shellfish, they only have about 35mg of cholesterol per 3 oz. serving and do contain about 90mg of omega-3 fatty acids.
Scallops cook very quickly so they are an easy way to add an extra serving of seafood to your week.
If you want to know more about buying and cooking scallops, The Spruce Eats has a great article!
Scallops with a Lemon Rosemary Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. dry pack sea scallops about 6-8
- 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 2 tsp. chopped rosemary
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
Instructions
- Wash your hands before touching the scallops. Trim off the muscle on the side if it is there and then pat the scallops dry with a clean paper towel.
- Melt 1/2 Tbsp. butter in a small frying pan. Add the extra virgin olive oil and turn the heat to medium high.
- When the skillet is really hot, but not burning, add the scallops and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, being careful not to over cook them. Remove them from the pan with tongs.
- Add the rest of the butter and broth to the skillet and turn down the heat. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and then stir in the wine, lemon juice, rosemary, and lemon zest and boil for about 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly.
- Turn off the heat and add the scallops back to the pan and scoop the sauce over top. Heat slightly to warm them. Scallops should be at an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Serve over pasta or risotto.
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