Scallops

Name: Scallops — bivalve molluscs with fan-shaped shells, whose large, round, white, sweet adductor muscle is the part eaten. Types include large sea scallops, smaller bay scallops and queen scallops, and the orange roe (coral) is also eaten in Europe. The Shellfish page covers them from a food-safety angle.

Description

Scallops swim by snapping their shells open and closed, and so have a large, well-developed adductor muscle, which is the white meat eaten. The scallop shell has been a symbol of the pilgrimage of St James (Santiago de Compostela) in Spain for centuries, and in French, scallops are coquilles Saint-Jacques. They are fished by dredging, or by hand-diving, which is more sustainable and gives a premium product.

Fresh scallops are sweet, tender and delicate, and are best seared quickly to give a golden crust and a translucent centre. “Wet” scallops are soaked in phosphate solutions to hold water, while “dry” scallops are untreated, and sear better and taste fresher.

Main nutrition value

Scallops are a lean source of protein, vitamin B12, magnesium, zinc and selenium, with very little fat.

How best to be consumed

Scallops are cooked very briefly, and seared.

1. Pat the scallops very dry, and season, then sear in a very hot pan with a little oil for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden outside and just opaque inside.
2. Serve with lemon butter, pea purée, bacon, black pudding or cauliflower purée.
3. Eat raw as carpaccio or ceviche, if very fresh and sold for raw use.
4. Choose dry (untreated) scallops, and remove the small side muscle before cooking.
5. Do not overcook, which makes them rubbery.

Overconsumption could cause…

Scallops are healthy in food amounts, with food-safety points.

1. Shellfish allergy, which can be severe and is usually lifelong, so anyone allergic must avoid shellfish and check labels.
2. Shellfish poisoning (paralytic, diarrhetic or amnesic) from toxins made by algae that bivalves filter from the water, which cooking does not destroy, so buy from regulated sources and follow local shellfish warnings. Toxins concentrate in the viscera and roe, so some countries advise eating only the white muscle.
3. Heavy metals such as cadmium and, in some waters, other pollutants, which shellfish can concentrate, so vary your seafood and buy from clean waters.
4. High salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure over time, especially in cured, smoked or canned fish. Treated “wet” scallops can contain added phosphates and salt.

GroupsMolluscsShellfishMolluscsHigh proteinLow fatRich in vitamin B12Fresh

Related foodsClamsMusselsOystersAbaloneWhelksCockles

Wikipedia — Scallop, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scallop