Seafood dishes has always been considered fancy meals. In most cases, it is saved for only special occasions. Probably you have been given the responsibility to make arrangements for the team building day at work, and you want to give your colleagues enjoy a delicious meal. Aside from the normal oysters and shrimp, you could give scallops a try. Its versatility will allow you to make a variety of dishes. So, what do scallops taste like?
Similar to other seafood, scallops have a fishy taste and the taste is similar to lobster or crab. The texture of scallops is slightly chewy and a little tender.
Read on and get to know how these tasty sea creatures taste like. This way you can be sure that you will not end up disappointing your guests.
What Are Scallops?
Probably you only hear of scallops, and you barely have a clue on what they are. Scallops resemble tiny fish which are squishy white in nature. This is their appearance when they are ready to make a meal. While at sea, they are tiny sea creatures with shells that are hinged.
Their standard size is about 9 inches, but there are some other types of scallops that are smaller while others are longer than the stated 9 inches. The most common scallops are sea scallops, bay scallops and calico scallops. If you enjoy a scallop delicacy, you can find different species of scallops in the seas all over the world.
Preparing and cooking scallops is quite a cumbersome process in which all the steps matter. Only the adductor muscle is eaten. The abductor muscle is that part that opens and closes the valves of the shell.
What do Scallops Taste Like?
Describing the taste of any kind of seafood has always been difficult. However tricky it is, I will describe what the taste is like to me and this way you can have a vague idea of what you should expect.
Their taste has more of that common taste of most seafood which is fresh and has a strong saltwater smell. The only difference is that they have a certain distinct taste of a fatty and yummy piece of yam.
The texture of scallops is slightly chewy and a little tender. Generally, scallops have a sweet flavor, and that’s the reason why you will hear most people calling them the ‘the sea candy.’
Scallops also do have some nutrition and health benefits. They’re packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, DHA , Vitamin B12 which reduce risks of colorectal cancer and heart diseases.
What Are The Best Ingredients for Scallop Dish?
- Wine
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Unsalted Butter/ Garlic Butter
Butter and lemon together will give your scallop a great taste. The feeling can be rather silky and somehow rich. Butter gives the scallop sauce a thick consistency.
How To Choose Good Scallops
- Choose scallops with the appearance of a lump. The hold in shape shows that they are still fresh.
- Look out for the saltwater smell. Scallops with a strong saltwater smell are also evidently fresh.
- If the scallops have a pinkish or orange appearance, it is also an indicator that they are fresh and still nutritious.
- For the perfect scallop meal, choose the scallops with the size U10. This is the perfect size that will bring the best out of your meal.
- If you decide to buy scallops that have already been removed from their shell, pick those with a shiny and bright white appearance.
- Do note that there are also wet scallops for sale that have been treated with chemicals before freezing. They tend to release moisture during cooking which prevents a good sear.
Simple Scallop Recipes – How to Cook Sauté Scallops
Ingredients:
- Sea fresh scallops/ Frozen scallops
- White wine
- Butter
- Vegetable oil/ Olive oil
- Herbs
- Fresh lemon juice
- Roasted garlic
- Kosher salt
- Chives
- Fresh pepper
- Parsley
Procedure:
Detach the adductor muscle from each side of the scallop and wash them with water
- Add oil to the sauté pan and let it get hot.
- Place the sea scallops into the hot oil and let them cook until they turn golden brown. Keep turning so that they can cook uniformly. The top should turn out to be crispy. That way you can be sure that they are ready.
- You can cook them to medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Once your scallops are ready, set them aside and make some sauce which will go perfectly with the scallops.
- Avoid cooking them for a very long time because it can make them hard to chew.
- Remove the pan from the fire and add some white wine to deglaze the pan. This will help in preventing setting the place on fire due to the alcohol content in wine.
- Set the pan to heat up again and bring it to boil.
- Add the other ingredients: the herbs, parsley, a drop of roasted garlic, chives and some freshly squeezed lemon juice. Roasted garlic will work best since it is sweeter and already cooked.
- Season with salt and pepper for your sauce .
- At the final stage, add enough butter to make your sauce thick. Do not reheat it. Instead, keep stirring until the butter fully dissolves.
- Serve your scallops which are still hot and the sauce and enjoy your scallop delicacy.
Enjoy your Scallop Delicacy
Preparing a scallop meal is simple, and I see no reason why you should not take a chance to enjoy a scallop meal. So, what do scallops taste like? Their taste can simply be described as mild and not too fishy. The best thing about scallops is that you can eat them raw.
Raw scallops can be safely stored in a refrigerator at or below 40 F for up to 2 days max before it turns bad.
You can also choose to make use of our recipe to make a scallop delicacy. If you dedicate yourself to cook them, keep track of cooking time to prevent them from having a rather rubbery taste. If cooked, right they will turn out to be tender and moist.