Are Your Scallops Dry?

When shopping for scallops, the most important question to ask is “Do you have dry scallops?” Next time you buy scallops, ask the fish monger if the they are; if he/she doesn’t know what you are talking about walk away and try not to buy fish from that place again. Anyone who sells dry scallops knows it, and is proud to let you know.

Today I went to two different markets to check the price of sea scallops. At the first market they were $14.99 per pound, which at first glance might seem like a better buy than the scallops at the second market where they were $22.99 per pound.  At that price one might balk, but would you believe that these scallops are essentially the same price per pound?  With the cheaper ones, you’re paying for the 30% water those (previously frozen) scallops have taken on as a result of being soaked in TSP, a phosphate solution that whitens them and makes them absorb more liquid, increasing their weight. So you’re paying $15 to $20 (or more) per pound for water.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is also the issue of what that Trisodium phosphate (TSP) is.  It is used as a cleaning agent, lubricant, stain remover and degreaser, as well as a food additive.  It is a white, granular or crystalline solid, highly soluble in water producing an alkaline solution. Sounds like a good thing to eat huh?  I know I like a little stain remover on my seafood!

If you’re not buying dry scallops, you will have trouble getting that beautiful brown sear on them that you always see on cooking shows. The phosphate solution is a common ingredient in soaps and detergents, and, not only has a distinctly soap-like flavor, but when you cook these scallops, all that extra liquid drains out and into the pan as it heats, so instead of searing them, you end up steaming them in something closely resembling soapy water.

I love scallops, and because of the cost don’t eat them often, so when I do I want them to be amazing.  Today I bought just four, which was about a quarter of a pound, and I was OK paying for what I knew would be an excellent dinner.  Many people I know are afraid to cook seafood and fish at home, and to them I say, like with most foods, if you keep the preparation simple, you should be able to tackle almost any food.

My scallop dinner couldn’t have been much easier, and I bet I got it cooked and plated in less time than it would take you to microwave two dinner entrées!   I used a bag of pre-washed spinach (because there were no bunches available) so that was a huge time saver. So, are you ready?  OK here’s all the work I put into making this beautiful meal:

I heated some chicken stock (about 1/4 cup) in a pan until it was boiling, then tossed in the spinach, and stirred it around until it was cooked which took about 2 minutes.  I put the spinach into a strainer to drain off any liquid, while I got the scallops ready.  I put some Borsari salt on them, and heated about 2 Tbl of oil in a pan over medium high heat, until it was just about smoking, and I put the scallops in the pan.  I cooked them for about 2 minutes per side, while they were on the 2nd side I put the spinach into a round cookie cutter on a plate (just to make things pretty) and removed the cutter, and placed the finished scallops on the spinach.  Total cook time; maybe five minutes.  Making two or four portions wouldn’t take any longer!  

Next time you want a bit of a splurge, make sure you get you money’s worth in scallops (not water) and you use this simple technique.  And make sure to let me know if you notice a difference!