A glass of chilled wine along with scallops! What more would anyone wants to have in a dinner. For preparing scallops, you can purchase them from the market fresh or frozen. There are two types of scallops available in the market: bay, which are smaller because they are found in coastline and sea, which are larger and found in sea. There is a third type called calico scallops but they are not very tasty and tender. You can expect 2-30 scallops per pound. Good scallops do not have a strong, fish-like smell. They cook very quickly and can be taken with any kind of cuisine. If you have not tasted it, try it. Hereâs how you should go about the process of preparing scallops.
Complexity Level: Moderate
Time required: 15 to 20 minutes
Resources Required:
1. One pound Sea Scallops
2. ¾-cup butter
3. 1/3 cup onions, chopped
4. ¼ cup lemon juice
5. Salt according to taste
6. ½ cup olive oil
7. ¼ teaspoon pepper
8. Slices of bacon
Instructions:
1. Heat the grill and wash scallops: Put the scallops for grilling. Adjust the heat to medium to avoid burning of delicate scallops. Wash the scallops with cold water. Let them dry on a paper towel.
2. Fry the ingredients and mix scallops in that: Melt the butter in a cup on medium heat. Fry the onions and garlic in the melted butter until they become reddish. This will hardly take five minutes. When you are done with frying, remove them from the heat and mix with lemon juice and salt. In a large bowl, place the scallops with the mixture of butter, onion and garlic. Leave it for two-three minutes.
3. Prepare scallops for cooking: Cut bacon and wrap one around each piece of scallop. Thread three or four scallops on a metal skewer. Allow some space between each scallop. Take a cooking brush, dip it into the olive oil, and brush the olive oil thoroughly and softly all over the scallops while they are on the skewer. Sprinkle the scallops with salt, pepper and any other seasoning you desire.
4. Cook the scallops: Cook the scallops for three-four minutes on each side. Afterwards, start turning them repeatedly for two-three minutes until they become light brown or light golden and opaque.
5. Serve your scallops: When they are cooked, remove the scallops and serve them immediately with the butter mixture sprinkled on them. Eat them with some grilled vegetables or brown rice.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How long do you grill scallops?
Grilling for three minutes per side on a medium heat is sufficient. Seafood does not take much time to cook; when overcooked it can be chewy. When scallops develop brown color all around the edges, remove it. However, make sure that you remove all the scallops at the same time from the skewers.
2. What type of scallops should you buy?
Always buy bay or sea scallops without getting confused with calico scallops. Bay scallops are ½ ” in diameter and sea scallops are 1-1/2 ” in diameter. Never buy artificially pumped up, waterlogged scallops.
Quick Tips:
- Pour some garlic butter over the scallops, and serve with pieces of French bread.
- Check the size of the scallops; slice the bigger ones horizontally to match all of them.
Things to Watch Out For:
1. Do not overcook scallops because they are very delicate and overcooking will make them tough.
2. Oil the scallops and grill properly.
3. Cook fresh scallops; do not use frozen scallops until you absolutely have to.
4. Remove the touch crescent-shaped muscle from each scallop if it is not properly prepared.
5. Use the scallops within one to two days after purchase because they are highly perishable.
6. Make sure that they are dry before cooking or grilling. A moist scallop will steam while grilling and will not give the perfect crust you want.
7. If you are using wooden skewers, then soak them in water for 30-40 minutes to prevent catching fire. Keep your scallops inside the freezer every time, especially in summer.
