Bay Scallops Food

BAY SCALLOPS WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• Serve with hot cooked pasta or rice along with sautéed spinach or Swiss chard.

HOW TO COOK BAY SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Cook the rest of your meal first. Scallops cook quickly, and they're best when they're fresh out of the pan. If you're planning to serve up anything else with your scallops (such as pasta or a salad), prepare that first and have it ready to serve the moment the scallops are done. For example, if you'd like to serve these scallops over toast, toast and butter the bread before you begin cooking the scallops.
• Remove the side-muscles if necessary. If your scallops still have their fibrous muscle tags attached, pull those off with your thumb and forefinger before you start cooking them. These muscles are easy to recognize because they feel tough and firm to the touch and their fibers go against the grain of the rest of the scallop. Leaving the muscles attached won't do any harm, but they're much tougher and harder to chew than the rest of the scallop.
• Rinse the scallops thoroughly with cool water. Before you cook the scallops, it's a good idea to rinse them to remove any grit, sand, or other unwanted debris. Put them in a colander before running water over them so they can drain quickly. Draining them quickly is key, since scallops will get waterlogged and mushy if they sit in water for too long.
• Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel. After the scallops have drained for a few minutes, spread them out on a flat surface covered in paper towels. Use another clean paper towel to gently pat each scallop dry. If you don't pat the scallops dry before searing them, you'll end up with tougher steamed scallops instead of tender, pan-seared ones.

BAY SCALLOP GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place 6 (6-inch round) gratin dishes on a sheet pan.
• To make the topping, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the garlic, shallot, prosciutto, parsley, lemon juice, Pernod, salt, and pepper and mix until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the olive oil slowly as though making mayonnaise, until combined. Fold the panko in with a rubber spatula and set aside.
• Preheat the broiler, if it's separate from your oven.
• Place 1 tablespoon of the wine in the bottom of each gratin dish. With a small sharp knife, remove the white muscle and membrane from the side of each scallop and discard. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and distribute them among the 3 dishes. Spoon the garlic butter evenly over the top of the scallops. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the topping is golden and sizzling and the scallops are barely done. If you want the top crustier, place the dishes under the broiler for 2 minutes, until browned. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve immediately with crusty French bread.

SAUTEED BAY SCALLOPS WITH LEMON BUTTER

Steps:

• Choose a saute pan large enough to hold all of the scallops in one layer without overcrowding the pan or without them touching each other. Cook in batches if necessary. Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter until nearly smoking. Add the scallops and do not move or shake pan, but allow the scallops to brown well on one side before tossing the pan to flip them or gently turning them with a spatula to cook the second side.
• Remove the scallops from the pan and place on a warm serving platter. Return the pan in which the scallops had been cooked to the fire, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sweet butter, and cook until the butter begins to turn a light brown color. When the butter has browned to a hazelnut color add the lemon juice and chopped parsley.
• Pour the classic lemon butter over the scallops, garnish with heart-shaped croutons and serve promptly.

BAY SCALLOP STIR-FRY

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups salted water to a boil. Add rice, and return to a boil, stirring once. Reduce to a simmer; cover and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let steam for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set sauce aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high. Add bell pepper, scallion whites, carrots, and ginger; cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add scallops and scallion greens; cook, stirring occasionally, until scallops are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Whisk sauce briefly, and add to skillet; cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Serve scallop stir-fry over rice.

TRUFFLED BAY SCALLOPS WITH CELERY PURéE

Steps:

• Make celery purée:
• Simmer broth, celery, potato, onion, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small heavy saucepan, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add parsley and cook, uncovered, 1 minute. Purée mixture in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Keep warm in saucepan.
• Cook scallops:
• Pat scallops dry and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté scallops until barley cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add truffle butter and stir until melted, then transfer scallops with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Stir celery purée into truffle butter in skillet. Spoon onto plates, then mound scallops in center and sprinkle with celery leaves.
• Do Ahead
• Purée (without truffle butter) can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Reheat in a microwave or in a saucepan over low heat before stirring into truffle butter.

BAY SCALLOPS PROVENçAL

Steps:

• Season the flour with some salt and pepper and toss the scallops in it. Heat the oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté over medium heat a few minutes, until soft. Remove, draining well to keep most of the oil in the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high. Shake excess flour from the scallops and sauté them, tossing, until lightly browned.
• Return the shallot and garlic to the skillet. Add the tomatoes and sauté until they soften, a minute or so. Add the lemon juice and wine and stir just until the ingredients are well combined. With a slotted spoon, transfer the scallops to a warm serving dish. (It's fine if some vegetables hitch a ride with the scallops.)
• Increase the heat to high and reduce the liquid until it thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. Lower heat, swirl in the butter and check the seasoning. Fold in the parsley. Pour the sauce over the scallops and arrange the toast around the platter.

BAY SCALLOPS WITH LEMON AND DILL

Steps:

• Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
• Add scallops and cook until almost opaque, about 2 minutes.
• Remove scallops from skillet with a slotted spoon; leaving liquid in skillet.
• Add vermouth, lemon juice, and lemon peel to skillet and reduce to a thick glaze (about 5 minutes).
• Return scallops to skillet and stir until coated.
• Add dill and pepper and serve immediately.

BAY SCALLOPS SCAMPI

Steps:

• In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil and half of the butter over medium-high heat until mixture starts to brown.
• MAKE SURE THE PAN AND OIL MIXTURE IS VERY HOT - Transfer half of the scallops to the skillet and cook WITHOUT MOVING until seared: ABOUT 20 - 30 SECONDS. Gently flip and sear on other side for another 20 - 30 SECONDS. Remove from skillet; add remaining scallops and butter. Cook in the same manner as the first batch.
• Once the second batch of scallops is finished cooking, return the first batch to the skillet and give a quick, gentle toss. Remove skillet from heat.
• Add the garlic, lemon juice, wine and cappers. Season with salt and pepper. Give a gentle toss and place scallops on a warmed serving platter. Garnish with parsley and lemon zest. Serve immediately.
• Serve with crusty Italian or French bread for dipping in the garlic-butter sauce. This dish pairs nicely with steamed fresh asparagus or zucchini.
• COOK'S TIP: Scallops contain a lot of water that will gush out once they get hot - THEY NEED A LOT OF HEAT APPLIED QUICKLY. Never crowd the scallops when cooking, otherwise they will steam instead of sear.