Scallops

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Ingredients

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Directions

When shopping for scallops, look for a sweet and briny aroma. The odor can be surprisingly strong, but don't mistake it for a sign of poor quality. Only reject scallops if their odor contains a hint of iodine or sourness.

Look for meats that are firm and slightly translucent. The color should be ivory to pinkish-white. A pinkish-orange mottling will sometimes occur when the meat is stained by the roe. This natural coloring is harmless and will not affect quality.

Avoid scallops that have been "soaked" (treated with a chemical during processing to reduce water loss and improved shelf life). Soaked scallops will feel "soapy" and excrete a milky white liquid.

Sea scallop shells measure up to 8 inches in diameter with meats 1-1½ inches across. There are 20-30 sea scallop meats to a pound.

Bay scallop shells measure up to 4 inches in diameter with meats up to ½-inch across. There are 60-100 bay scallop meats to a pound.

Scallops are very low in fat, with only ⅘ grams per 3 ½ oz serving . each serving also has 88 calories, 161 milligrams sodium, ⅒ gram saturated fat and 33 milligrams cholesterol.

To preserve the succulent character of scallops, do not overcook them. The easiest way to avoid overcooking scallops is to stop when the outer surface of the meats turn solidly opaque - by then the insides are nearly cooked. Don't worry if the scallops seems a little underdone in the middle, that's when they're most flavorful. When sauteing, small scallops will only take a few minutes to cook; larger sea scallops will take no more than 4-5 minutes. Add a minute when poaching and subtract a minute when broiling or grilling. To make larger scallops, 1 ½-inches or more across) cook quickly, slice them crosswise into ¼-to- ½-inch-thick disks.

Simply Seafood

Fall 1995

Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 11-13-95

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