SWEET BAY SCALLOPS WITH GARLIC AND HERBS: 10 MINUTES ‘TIL DINNERTIME

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

adapted from The Way to Cook by Julia Child

Serves 6

Scallops make a perfect weeknight dinner. Sauteed, they can be ready to eat in less than five minutes and only need a nice crusty baguette with a tossed green salad to make a fabulous dinner. In the case of scallops, less is more. The scallop’s tender sweet meat only needs herbs, olive oil and garlic and simple cooking methods like the grill or the saute pan to bring out its best.

There are several types of scallops, but sea and bay scallops are the best. Sea scallops are available year round. The smaller, sweeter, and more tender bay scallop is seasonal and more expensive. They are caught along bays from the Gulf Coast to the North Eastern Atlantic from November to March. I wait for them to show up at the market. I know Fall is finally here when they arrive.

Note: Fresh scallops, whether sea or bay, are always preferable to frozen. Either way, here are some tips to make the most of what you buy:

1. Always buy seafood from a trustworthy source. Smell your scallops before you buy them. Fresh Scallops smell sweet and briny, not fishy. They should not be floating in liquid. If you must buy frozen, skip those from China as they lack flavor.

2. Frozen scallops are often treated with phosphates which cause them to absorb water to look plumper. They may look good, but the phosphates affect the flavor plus, the retained liquid is excreted when the scallops are cooked. This is no good as the meat will end up cooking in this liquid. Look for the word “dry scallops” on the packaging. Dry scallops have not been soaked in phosphates. Thaw frozen scallops on a bed of paper towels in the refrigerator. Before you cook them, blot the scallops to absorb any additional moisture.

3. If your scallops excrete juice anyway, pour off the juices as you saute. You don’t want to cook them wet.

4. Scallops cook very quickly. Bay scallops are done in 1-2 minutes. Overcooking scallops makes them rubbery and tough. You want your scallops cooked right so they are tender and full of flavor.

1 1/2 lbs. bay scallops

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp shallots, finely chopped

1/4-1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1. DREDGE SCALLOPS: Dry whole bay scallops on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Place flour in a gallon-sized plastic bag and add scallops, and few at a time. Once scallops are covered in flour, put them in a sieve and shake off the excess flour. Do this to all of the scallops working in batches.

2. SAUTE: Heat a large skillet over HIGH heat. Add olive oil. When oil is hot, add the scallops in batches so they are not touching each other in the pan. Let them sit for a few seconds, toss them and let them cook a few seconds more. They are done. Remove and place on a plate until all of the scallops are cooked. Add the garlic and shallots to the pan and saute 1-2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add the parsley and all of the scallops and toss.