The exquisite scallop shell holds promises -- of love and beauty, of
rebirth, of faith and, best of all, of wonderful taste sensations.
The shell with its delicately scalloped edges is finely tinted and
lacks the coarse attributes of other mollusks. It has been used
as a symbol in art and religion for centuries.
Mythology places the ancient Greek goddess of beauty and love,
Aphrodite, arising from her birth in the sea within a scallop
shell. Such images have existed long before the familiar
Sandro Botticelli painting of 1485.
The Archaeological Museum of Naples houses a first century fresco from
Pompeii of Aphrodite, known to Romans as Venus, reclining in a scallop
shell.
Christian pilgrims making the arduous trek to the shrine of St. James
the Greater (brother of St. John and early Christian martyr) at
Santiago de Compostello in Galicia, Spain, adopted the scallop shell as
their emblem, as did ninth century Crusaders.
Pilgrims carried a shell to prove they had been on the pilgrimage and
to have access to strangers’ doors when they needed food and
drink. The shell was their portable vessel. It served as a
“pass” and relieved the hosts of the burden of providing
more than a taste to the many people who came to them.
For all its symbolism, the real bay scallop holds a very special spot
in our hearts for the pleasure we derive from its lusciousness,
especially in the otherwise lean winter months.
Now that we can finally harvest these precious sea gems after a hiatus
of several years, the wires – and the wireless – are abuzz
with recipes and tips for bay scallops that we can harvest until April
1.
We are all enjoying them in many ways. Of course, the first few
meals for us are as simple as possible, so we can fully savor the nutty
sweetness without the distraction of other flavors.
Susan West tells me this is the only way they usually prepare scallops since they have been such a rare treat.
SIMPLY SCALLOPS
Enough scallops to satisfy you – about 10-12 per person
A little butter or olive oil
1 clove garlic (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh lemons
Heat a small nonstick skillet and add just a bit of olive oil or
butter, not even enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the
minced garlic.
Gently pat the scallops dry and add to the hot pan in a single layer,
not touching each other. You don’t want to steam
them. Depending on the number of scallops you are cooking, you
should do them in more than one batch.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and squeeze lemon juice over the
scallops. Cook quickly – no more than a minute for each
side.
This is a technique you can use over and over yet vary the flavorings
and other ingredients for different results, as you will see in some of
the following dishes.
Capt. Spurgeon Stowe begins the scallops in butter and removes them
from the pan after a minute or two. He then adds juice of 1/2 a
lemon, black pepper and soy sauce to the butter and simmers about 2 or
3 minutes before pouring the mixture over the scallops.
Frying helps to bring out the sweetness of the scallops and properly
fried seafood is not soggy or oily, just slightly crunchy on the
outside. These don’t need sauces, but they are wonderful
with remoulade or a mustard/ mayonnaise/ tarragon sauce and with
traditional beurre blanc or lemon hollandaise.
DEEP FRIED BAY SCALLOPS
Just-shucked bay scallops - for two, I use about 20 or 24 scallops
Peanut oil or canola, if allergic to peanuts – both tolerate high temps
House Autry Seafood Breader
Salt and pepper
Fresh lemon juice, if you like
Place seafood breader in a bowl. Add a touch of salt and pepper
and gently toss the scallops in the mixture to completely coat them.
I use an electric fryer to ensure even heat but you can use a deep
pan. Test the oil by putting a small piece of bread into the
oil. The bread will sizzle and rise when the oil is hot enough.
Submerge a small amount of the scallops in the oil so you do not reduce
the temperature of the oil and fry for about a minute before carefully
turning the scallops. In another minute remove from the hot oil
and drain.
Immediately sprinkle on a bit of sea salt and a spritz of fresh lemon
juice. Repeat until all scallops are done. Enjoy while
still warm. We stand around the counter and eat them as soon as
they are done!
This recipe for scallop fritters comes with thanks to Chris Ballance of
Hatteras and Jan Gillikin of Harkers Island for their techniques and an
apology for not following recipes to the letter and, for adding a
little something of my own, as I usually do.
SCALLOP FRITTERS
About 2 cups of rough chopped scallops
About 1 cup of plain flour or self-rising flour
Salt and pepper
About 1/3 cup of water
Fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Peanut or canola oil for frying
Chop the scallops to your liking. I prefer them roughly chopped for texture and taste but some people mince them finely.
Add salt and pepper to the flour. If you like the fritters a
little puffy and chewy use self-rising flour. Otherwise, use
plain flour. By all means, try them both ways.
Add the scallops and a little water. I also add the fresh rosemary at this point.
Combine the ingredients and add water until the batter just holds
together with plain flour. If you use self-rising you want it to
be the consistency of a thick pancake batter.
Spoon the batter into hot oil in a deep pan. .
Fry slowly until the fritter is golden brown. Remove from pan and
drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with a little sea salt.
Then it was time to expand the repertoire of recipes for bay scallops.
Anita Bills made a pasta and vegetable feast with scallops she and her
husband harvested and shared it with Irene Nolan and, at Irene’s
urging, with me. It is as beautiful as it is flavorful, and
the addition of oranges rather than the standard lemons adds acidity
and another surprising source of sweetness.
FETTUCCINE WITH SCALLOPS AND COLORFUL VEGETABLES
12 ounces fettuccine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 celery stalks, julienned
2 carrots, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
1 orange bell pepper, julienned
3 green onions, julienned
1 pound raw scallops
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup grated Romano cheese
Italian parsley
Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat oil in a large,
deep sauté pan. Add all of the julienned vegetables. Cook,
tossing, until crisp but tender.
Add bay scallops to the vegetables and toss until opaque, about 1 or 2
minutes. Add orange juice, orange zest and red pepper
flakes. Cook 2 more minutes and pour over cooked pasta.
Toss with cheese and garnish with chopped fresh Italian parsley.
NOTE: When sea scallops are in season, substitute them for bay scallops but slice into thirds for cooking.
Irene also shared her favorite way to prepare bay scallops.
She likes hers seared and served over a bed of young spinach leaves
wilted in hot olive oil that has been flavored with garlic and ginger
and a dash of soy sauce to taste.
Spinach is in season now, too, and I was influenced to try the
combination in a different way. So I made a spinach risotto and
topped it with seared scallops.
SPINACH RISOTTO WITH SCALLOPS
1 cup good short-grained Italian rice, such as Carnaroli or Arborio
2 cups chicken stock, heated
1/2 stick sweet butter
2 leeks, white part and beginning of green section, thoroughly cleaned and sliced into thin rings
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
Baby spinach leaves or Swiss chard
Fresh thyme
Fontina and Parmesan cheese
White wine (the same as the one you will drink with this dinner.)
Over low heat, melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the leeks
and cook slowly until very soft. Add garlic and cook another
minute two. Do not let the garlic or leeks brown.
Add the rice and stir until completely coated with butter.
Pour about ½ cup white wine into the pan and turn up the
heat. Boil it nearly away to intensify the flavor but cook away
the alcohol and begin to add the heated chicken stock, a little at a
time. As the rice absorbs the stock, add more stock and never let
it get dry.
I know. This is not a quick and easy dish but there is something satisfying about having control over the process!
When the rice begins to soften and yet still has bite (taste a grain),
mix in the chopped thyme and spinach or chard and cook until
wilted. Now add the scallops and cook another 2 or 3 minutes.
Finally, top with freshly grated Fontina cheese and a sprinkling of Parmesan, another touch of fresh thyme and serve hot.
Beth Bailey, who, along with her husband Steve, owns Risky Business
Seafood in Hatteras and Avon, also likes the combined flavors of
scallops and spinach. For a rich and hearty wintry meal
Risky’s scallop and spinach bisque is very satisfying.
SCALLOP AND SPINACH BISQUE
1 pound bay scallops
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces Brie
2 to 3 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
4 chicken bouillon cubes
4 small peeled and diced red potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stick butter
3 level tablespoons flour
1 pint whipping cream
Seasonings:
1 ounce sherry wine
6 shakes Texas Pete (or other hot sauce)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon mace
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a 2 quart pot, add 1 quart of water, 4 chicken bouillon cubes, diced
potatoes, onions, and garlic. Simmer until vegetables are
tender. Add all of the above seasonings with spinach and 2
tablespoons of butter. Simmer for 1 minute. Add scallops
and simmer 3 more minutes. Turn off the stove and set the pot
aside.
In another 4 quart pot, add the rest of the butter and melt slowly so
not to burn. Then add the flour and stir over medium heat for 3
minutes until well blended. Slowly add the cream until blended
and somewhat thickened. Then add both the Parmesan and Brie
cheeses to the mixture, whisking constantly until thick and smooth.
When the cheese mixture is thickened, add the scallop mixture and stir
until well blended. Simmer on very low heat until hot.
Serve with crusty bread.
In a completely different vein, I looked to the tropics for
inspiration. Since I had just returned from South Florida with a
perfectly ripe mango, I concocted a mango and cantaloupe salsa and then
prepared jerk scallops. Perfect on a frigid and windy day, as so
many have been this winter.
JAMAICAN JERK SCALLOPS
Sear scallops as above and add jerk paste to taste, remembering it is
spicy and you don’t want to disguise the scallop flavor. I
use Williams – Sonoma Jamaican Jerk Paste. A little goes a
long way, and it beautifully complements the sweet scallops and sweet
fruit with hot peppers. I also use it with shrimp, chicken,
and pork.
After another minute, once the sauce is hot and integrated with the
scallops, squeeze the juice of a lime over the scallops. Serve
with tropical fruit salsa.
MANGO SALSA
Cube 1 ripe mango and place in bowl. Cut up 1/2 cantaloupe and
add to mango. Slice 1 hot pepper into thin rings, 1/2 small red
onion into small dice. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the
juice of 2 fresh limes and a drop of olive oil and allow to sit,
covered, for a few hours or overnight. Just before serving add
grated coconut.
I cannot think of a way to ruin bay scallops except to overcook
them. They are delicious raw when they are first caught and when
“cooked” in citrus juice, as in ceviche, as Sharon Kennedy
does. She uses a combination of lemon and lime juice (freshly
squeezed), red onion, some olive oil and lots of cilantro. Blend
well and allow to “cook” for several hours.
Scallops appear in tomato-based Italian and Spanish dishes with ham and
bacon and in classical French cooking and they are wonderful with Asian
ingredients as here.
YAKITORI SAUCE
1/4 cup sake
6 tablespoons Japanese dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon sugar
Combine in small saucepan and slowly simmer for 1 minute. Let cool. Can be stored in fridge for several weeks.
I encourage you to enjoy the bay scallops as much as possible.
There are masses of them now, but we never know when we will be allowed
to harvest them again. And if you don’t live here to harvest your
own and receive them as gifts from those who do, you can try these
recipes with bay scallops from your local market.
Scallop shells are not recyclable in the same way as oyster
shells. Returning them to the water will not encourage future
scallops, but they are a good source of calcium for your fig trees, so
dump them around the bases. You should also do this with clam
shells.
Also you can select the prettiest and cook them gently in water and a small amount of Clorox until sparkling clean.
Remember how the pilgrims of Santiago de Compostello used them?
They make lovely little serving pieces for ceviche and small hors
d’oeuvres, dipping sauces, and sea salt and are a unique way to
serve chilled flavored vodka with your scallops.
(Lynne
Foster lives in Hatteras village with her husband, Ernie. Together they
operate The Albatross Fleet of charter boats. They actively support the
sustainable practices of the island’s commercial fishermen and
the preservation of Hatteras Island’s working waterfront.
Both love to cook seafood and entertain friends, and Lynne loves to
experiment with recipes for locally caught seafood.)
