How do I cook Scallops?

Heir

Hi all,

I love scallops. However I've never tried cooking them myself.

I bought some sea scallops (the big ones) this past Sunday. I'm hoping to cook them tonight.

I just wanted some general advice on how to cook them in a frying pan.

So far I know I should cook them with some olive oil and probably a little bit of butter. Cover them in some sea salt and some pepper. I know I need to sear the outsides...but that's about all I've got.

Basically, how long and at what heat should I be cooking them? Anyone have any suggestions for a side? I was thinking of some baked asparagus and eggplant with some wild rice.

MindLib

medium low.

get the pan really hot then add the olive oil cook them until they're firm.

I also like my with white wine and garlic, which is a good base for a sauce for pasta. Just add some cream and parsley to the mix and you're fine dining.

Heir

I've always been under the impression that you want to sear the outsides of the scallops on a hot or medium-hot setting?

Herkimer

yeah I'd sear the outside on medium-high heat, basically for time I pay attention to the sear and leave the interior raw or nearly so. Then again I also know and trust my fishmonger so YMMV with that.

Whatever you do, don't overcook them. If you do, you might as well have saved some money by frying up some pencil erasers, 'cause really, pretty much the same deal.

Noquar

Besides not overcooking don't forget the most important part of cooking scallops - wrap in bacon.

krush

MindLib wrote: »

medium low.

get the pan really hot then add the olive oil cook them until they're firm.

I also like my with white wine and garlic, which is a good base for a sauce for pasta. Just add some cream and parsley to the mix and you're fine dining.

^^^ That.

Add a touch of salt and maybe a bit of ground coriander.

Usagi

Butter + olive oil, med-high to high heat, 2-3 minutes per side and try not to overcook them! (remember, they're like eggs - if it looks cooked in the pan it'll be overcooked on your plate)

One of my favorite things is to use a little cajun seasoning blend and a little flour along with salt and pepper to get that nice crusty, spicy outside.

firewaterword

Sear those bad boys on high.

Also be sure to rinse 'em. Sandy scallops are no good.

Precursor

Surprised nobody mentioned this yet, but in order to get that sear they need to be dry. So before you throw them in the pan give them a pat with a paper towel. Then season with salt and pepper and into the pan. I agree with everyone here on the med-high heat and to not overcook them.

You can test them like a steak. Give them a touch, they should be firm but not too firm. They say you can use your hand to tell doneness, but your mileage may vary.

Heir

Thanks guy.

Yeah I already read about patting them dry first, so I'm good there.

I had read the flour idea...though they suggested corn meal. I think I may give that a try!

Qingu

Dry and high heat. But you can get even more involved (i.e. SCIENTIFIC) according to Cook's Illustrated:

We strongly recommend purchasing “dry” scallops (those without chemical additives). If you can only find “wet” scallops, soak them in a solution of 1 quart cold water, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons table salt for 30 minutes before proceeding with step 1. In step 2, season the scallops with pepper only. If you are unsure whether your scallops are wet or dry, conduct this quick test: Place 1 scallop on a paper towel-lined, microwave-safe plate and microwave on high power for 15 seconds. If the scallop is “dry,” it will exude very little water. If it is “wet,” there will be a sizable ring of moisture on the paper towel. (The microwaved scallop can be cooked as is.) Prepare the sauce (if serving) while the scallops dry (between steps 1 and 2) and keep it warm while cooking them. See our related recipes for Orange-Lime Vinaigrette, Ginger Butter Sauce, and Caper-Mustard Sauce.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds dry sea scallop , 10 to 20 per pound, small side muscles removed (see note)
Table salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
lemon wedges or sauce (see related recipes) for serving


Instructions

1. Place scallops on rimmed baking sheet lined with clean kitchen towel. Place second clean kitchen towel on top of scallops and press gently on towel to blot liquid. Let scallops sit at room temperature 10 minutes while towels absorb moisture.

2. Sprinkle scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of scallops in single layer, flat-side down, and cook, without moving, until well browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

3. Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet. Using tongs, flip scallops; continue to cook, using large spoon to baste scallops with melted butter (tilt skillet so butter runs to one side) until sides of scallops are firm and centers are opaque, 30 to 90 seconds longer (remove smaller scallops as they finish cooking). Transfer scallops to large plate and tent loosely with foil. Wipe out skillet with wad of paper towels and repeat cooking with remaining oil, scallops, and butter. Serve immediately with lemon wedges or sauce.

tl;dr your scallops may be "wet" as in "treated with nasty chemicals." If this is the case, you can give them a bath in lemony water to vastly improve their flavor before cooking. As usual with CI recipes, obsessively follow the recipe for best results.

VisionOfClarity

Noquar wrote: »

Besides not overcooking don't forget the most important part of cooking scallops - wrap in bacon.

Oh yea, bacon wrapped broiled scallops are awesome.

dlinfiniti

depending on where you got your scallops you might want to cook them through
if you got them at your local fish place and their freshness can be verified, then by all means, sear and/or raw as hell is good too if its sashimi grade
otherwise i suggest cooking them through or tossing them into a nice pasta where they'll be more or less cooked through anyway

Heir

I got mine at whole foods. Ended up just cooking in the frying pan with a little olive oil, butter, sea salt and pepper. Turned out splendidly!

Picture of dinner:

Sheep

Awesome. Looks like you got them cooked just right. I came in here and the first posts were telling you to cook on medium to low heat and I just knew those scallops were gonna get ruined.

EDIT

Though you could use some practice in plating.

Liquid Hellz

Put em in a bag with lemon juice.. not really sure how long but the acids in the juice will cook them nice and tasty.

Sheep

An hour at the least.

Never heard of scallop ceviche though.

Esh

krush wrote: »

MindLib wrote: »

medium low.

get the pan really hot then add the olive oil cook them until they're firm.

I also like my with white wine and garlic, which is a good base for a sauce for pasta. Just add some cream and parsley to the mix and you're fine dining.

^^^ That.

Add a touch of salt and maybe a bit of ground coriander.

Just so you know, red text means you disagree with the original poster. lime text means you agree.

Improvolone

Liquid Hellz wrote: »

Put em in a bag with lemon juice.. not really sure how long but the acids in the juice will cook them nice and tasty.

They don't get cooked so much as the bacteria on the outside is killed. There really is no way to test the bacteria on the inside... (according to AB)

fightinfilipino

i'm actually curious about the white wine + garlic...do you cook the scallops right off the bat in that mix? for how long? and when do you add the cream to make a sauce?

Improvolone wrote: »

Liquid Hellz wrote: »

Put em in a bag with lemon juice.. not really sure how long but the acids in the juice will cook them nice and tasty.

They don't get cooked so much as the bacteria on the outside is killed. There really is no way to test the bacteria on the inside... (according to AB)

well, you can always test that by eating them. of course that could end in botulism or worse...

xa52

fightinfilipino wrote: »

i'm actually curious about the white wine + garlic...do you cook the scallops right off the bat in that mix? for how long? and when do you add the cream to make a sauce?

I'd think it'd be best to do the sear in a stainless pan, take them out and cover in foil to keep them warm, then deglaze the pan with the wine and make your sauce. Put the scallops back in to coat the reheat then plate and serve.

Druhim

scallop ceviche is quite common
however I'd only use very fresh scallops for ceviche

Ruckus

Alton Brown talked about Scallops in Season 9 Episode 20 of Good Eats.

Heir

Sheep wrote: »

Awesome. Looks like you got them cooked just right. I came in here and the first posts were telling you to cook on medium to low heat and I just knew those scallops were gonna get ruined.

EDIT

Though you could use some practice in plating.

Meh! It's just going down my gullet anyways! Wasn't like I was making this for a party. :P