No doubt this word is a tongue breaker. It’s the German word
for “sea scallops.”
I chose this word for this post’s headline because I was
first introduced to sea scallops in a fancy, worldly restaurant in the south of
Germany. That was where I tasted this delectable seafood from different oceans
of the world on a daily basis. They were wild caught from the bottom of the
ocean by divers. I recall that the divers collected them in nets and brought
them to the water surface. Those scallops were delivered to the restaurant still
alive. In fact later when customers ordered a particular sashimi style-raw
scallop dish, it was still moving on the plate! The preparation of the dish
went like this: the scallops were shucked out of their large sea shells then
rinsed with ice cold water and sliced paper thin with a razor sharp,
long-bladed fish knife. We put the slices on a puddle of sour cream, which was spread
out in a circle over a plate and then garnished with baby herbs and finished with
a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. Indeed the freshness was evident because the
sliced pieces of sea scallop moved in a calm wave pattern. It was explained to
me that “when the scallop pieces are hit by the sodium of the salt it sets off
a chemical reaction, which makes the sea scallop move.” Needless to say, it
freaked me out a bit at first, but when we heard the constant “ohhhs, ahhhs and
jaaas” from customers we went on with the barbaric slicing.
Scallop fishery
In the US I prefer scallops from Maine because of their proximity
and immaculate taste. The main commercial fishing season, in the northeastern
Gulf of Maine is almost over for this year and generally lasts from mid
December through the end of March but that changes from year to year. NOAA (National
Oceanic Atmospheric Administration) and the New England and Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Councils together manage the federal area of the sea scallop
fishery. Thanks to effective management of fishing season and area throughout
the year sea scallop harvest yields have risen in the past years.
Sea scallops are found in groups that are called “beds” on the sea floor and get caught by dredges (rake/steel bar like gear), which kicks them up from the ocean floor and then get caught with an attached metal net. Dredging compared to scuba diving for sea scallops is questionable because it damages the undersea flora and fauna but tight regulations for harvest periods, allowable yield and changes in harvest gear will hopefully bring a solution along in the near future.
Scallop Shells
The beautiful-large scallop shells find all kind of uses
from candleholders, jewelry holder to ashtrays. They can be worked into an art
project with their pretty shape and
sometimes I serve seafood dishes in these shells like small portions of risotto
for cocktail parties.
Did you know…
Scallop shells show grow-rings that correspond to the age of
the scallop somewhat comparable to a tree stump. They are approximately five
years old when they are about 5-6 inches in diameter and big enough to be
harvested.
Perfect Pan Roasted
Sea Scallops
(recipe makes four portions)
16 sea scallops “U10” meaning under 10 pieces per pound
2 teaspoons salt for brining
sea salt, to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil such as canola or grape seed oil
black pepper from a mill
½ teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 tablespoon butter
- Rinse scallop with cold water and remove white tough mussel from each.
- Measure 2 cups of water and mix with 2 teaspoons of sea salt, combine with scallops. Transfer the scallops to the refrigerator and brine/let sit in the water for 30 minutes.
- Remove the sea scallops from the brine and dry on kitchen paper towel.
- Heat a non-stick pan on high heat setting and add sea scallops. Cook for 2 minutes then add oil then cook for 2 more minutes – at this point the sea scallops should have evenly browned if not cook for 2 more minutes.
- Switch heat setting to medium and turn the scallops
over. Add butter, shallot and thyme and cook for one minutes or until the
shallots have a translucent appearance. With a spoon paste top of scallops with
the butter/thyme/shallot mixture for 1 minute. Quickly take scallops out of the
pan not to overcook them.
Perfectly seared sea scallops with pasta and ricotta.
Serving suggestions for pan seared sea scallops:
-
on a bed of mixed greens with a simple lemon
& olive oil dressing
-
alongside pasta with tomato sauce and fresh
basil
-
I like to arrange them around risotto e.g., peas
& carrots risotto, wild mushroom risotto, tomato risotto with saffron
