Scallops Wrapped In Bacon Spicy Scallop Stir Fry with Snap
Peas Scallops in Cream Sauce with Spinach Fettuccine
The scallop is possibly best known for its beautiful shell.
It has been captured in classic works of art. Even buildings
in ancient Pompeii were decorated with ornaments made from
the scallop shell. While that is all fine and well, I like
them because they are delicious. Scallops are a bivalve
mollusk with scallop-edged, fan-shaped shells. Near the
hinge, where the two shells meet, the shell is flared out on
each side forming what looks like small wings. The shells
are opened and closed by a single, over-sized adductor
muscle which is often referred to as the "eye".
The eye, or adductor muscle is the part of the scallop we
eat here in the U.S. This muscle is more developed in
scallops than oysters and clams because scallops are
actually quite good swimmers. They move about freely through
the water and over the ocean floor by opening and closing
their shells together. Scallops are primarily harvested by
dredging and are shucked soon after they are caught. They
cannot hold their shells closed out of the water, so they
must be shucked on board the ships and chilled. The sea
scallop is the largest of the scallops. You usually get
approximately 20-40 in one pound. I like even larger ones
which can be as big as 10 to a pound. They can be bought
fresh or frozen. Scallops freeze well and defrost quickly.
The raw scallops are creamy white in color. Sometimes they
are slightly orange. Some say these are females and some say
it is due to the food (algae) they consume. Im still not
sure which explanation is correct. Scallops have a
distinctly sweet odor when they are fresh.
There are countless ways to prepare scallops. Never
overcook them as they toughen easily. As soon as they lose
their translucence and turn opaque, they are done, Sea
scallops may be broiled, sautied skewered, stir- fried,
baked or fried. If you plan to serve them with a sauce, it
is best to cook the scallops and the sauce separately and
then combine them at he end. Bay scallops resides in bays
from New England to the Gulf of Mexico. Its muscle reaches
about one-half inch in diameter. You usually find about 50-
90 in one pound. Bay scallop meats are white with some pink
ones as well..
Be extremely careful when cooking bay scallops. They tend to
overcook easily. They are sweet and tender yet firm when
cooked properly. They are usually less expensive then the
sea scallops.
Scallops Wrapped In Bacon
Makes 24 Pieces
3 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 Tbsp. Mirin (Chinese Rice Wine)
1/4 tsp. hot Asian garlic chili sauce 1 tsp. grated fresh
ginger 1 tsp. garlic finely chopped 1 pinch sugar 1 tsp
sesame oil 12 lg. sea scallops; halved 12 thin slices
bacon 24 wooden toothpicks; soaked in water for 1 hour
In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, chili sauce,
ginger, garlic, sugar and oil. Add scallops and toss well.
Set aside to marinate for 1/2 hour under refrigeration. Cook
the bacon until lightly browned but only about half cooked.
It must still be flexible enough to wrap around the
scallops. Cut each piece in half. Preheat your oven to 450
degrees. Remove the scallops from the marinade and pat dry.
Wrap each scallop in a piece of bacon and secure it with a
toothpick. Place the wrapped scallops on a broiler pan and
cook for about 6 minutes until bacon is crispy and the
scallops are firm. Serve immediately.
Spicy Scallop Stir Fry with Snap Peas
2/4 cup soy sauce 2 teaspoons sesame oil 4 teaspoons
rice vinegar
3/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut oil 1 onion, chopped 1 sweet red
pepper, cut into 8 wedges
4/2 pound snow peas, trimmed 1 pound sea scallops, halved
horizontally 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 3 cloves
garlic, minced
In a bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, red
pepper flakes and cornstarch, set aside. Heat peanut oil in
a wok. Add onion, stir-fry over medium heat until soft, 3 to
4 minutes. Add red pepper, stir-fry until tender, 5 minutes.
Add snow peas, stir-fry for 2 minutes. Mix in scallops,
garlic and ginger, stir-fry until scallops are opaque, about
3 minutes. Pour in soy sauce mixture; stir-fry briefly,
until thickened.
Scallops in Cream Sauce with Spinach Fettuccine
Makes 2 Servings
2 oz. Mushrooms, sliced 1 oz. butter 8 oz scallops 8 oz
cream sauce (recipe below) 2 cups spinach fettuccine
noodles, cooked al dente parmesan cheese; grated
parsley, chopped
Cream Sauce
5/4 cup shallots, minced 2 tsp. Garlic, minced 2 oz butter 2
oz dry vermouth 1 cup heavy cream
6/2 oz lemon juice salt; to taste pepper, to taste 1 dash
cayenne pepper
Prepare Cream Sauce by sautiing shallots and garlic in
butter until transparent. Deglaze pan with vermouth. Add
cream, bring to simmer and reduce by 1/3-1/2 or until
slightly thickened. Add lemon juice and season to taste with
salt and pepper. Hold warm for service. Saute mushrooms in
butter about 1 minute. Add scallops and continue cooking 2
to 3 minutes just until flesh is opaque. Add cream sauce,
bring to simmer and cook 1 minute. Arrange well-drained
noodles on serving plate and top with creamed scallops.
Garnish with cheese and parsley.
Chef2Chef Recipe Club Member Forum:
forums.chef2chef.netforums.chef2chef.netOpen ↗ ARCHIVE: at:
chef2chef.netclubOpen ↗
--
Rec.food.recipes is moderated by Patricia Hill at [email hidden].
Only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting.
Please allow several days for your submission to appear.
Archives: cdkitchen.comrfrOpen ↗ recipes.alastra.comrecipes.alastra.comOpen ↗