Perfectly Seared Scallops – Absolutely Stunning – Great Flavour as were Seared to Perfection.
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The ultimate Guide to get the most perfect sear on scallops ever seen
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Why are Pan-Seared Scallops so intimidating..
This is the question I have asked myself about pan seared scallops for years! I’ve seen people cook them, I’ve eaten them sooooo many times, and then I would try to make them and they would turn out rubbery or lacking that sweet scallop flavour that I love so much! And on the aesthetic side, I could never achieve that beautiful sear that has a light crunch and holds all the flavour.
You may be looking at the photo here and screaming at this point…. JUST TELL US YOUR SECRETS! Patience child, we are getting there! Before we get there, let’s talk scallops for a minute.
What should I look for when buying scallops? – Perfectly Seared Scallops
The key to an amazing pan seared scallop begins at the grocery store Don’t just go to any dodgy store. Make sure those babies are fresh! From a Fish Market Preferably. Perfectly Seared Scallops
How do I know if my market has fresh scallops?
Simple. Just ask at the fish counter! You should ask when the store received the Most stores give you an honest answer. If they are more than a couple days old, ask when they are getting their next shipment, and plan another meal for tonight.
Should I buy fresh or frozen ?
We are of the opinion that you should always try to find fresh, never frozen scallops. If you can’t find them in the store fresh, frozen will work, but make sure they were flash frozen or individually quick frozen (IQF) and were not treated with a solution that preserves them, aka, “wet” scallops. You can learn more about “wet” vs “dry” scallops here. Perfectly Seared Scallops
What kind of scallops are the best? – Perfectly Seared Scallops
We at NCmeatfishProduce prefer diver scallops compared to farmed scallops. And we rarely buy the small bay scallops unless we are putting them in some kind of fish stew, or Cioppino.
What colour should a scallop be? – Perfectly Seared Scallops
Most scallops will fall in the milky white to coral pink range. This has no effect on the taste of the scallop, and everything to do with male scallops vs female scallops during the spawning period. If the scallop looks dull and grey, it is likely old, so avoid these.
Should scallops smell “fishy?” – Perfectly Seared Scallops
Short answer, no! They should have a slightly sweet, sea-like smell, but not ever fishy. If the smell is pungent and makes you gag, DO NOT EAT THESE.
How to get that perfect sear – Perfectly Seared Scallops
Now to the fun part! Let’s get cooking!
First, you will want to rinse the scallops and dry them completely. Do not soak, EVER! Just rinse and dry. If your scallops have a little piece of meat that looks like a small flap on the side, remove it. This in the abductor muscle and will be very tough if you try to cook it and eat it. These will easily pull right off. Your cats will love this piece of the scallop though, so go ahead and make your fur babies happy and share the love! Perfectly Seared Scallops
Next, season the scallops on both flat sides with salt and pepper. Don’t go overboard with the salt. You can always add a little finishing salt at the end if you need more. Remember, salt is a flavour enhancer, so salt should only be used to enhance the flavours you create, not as a flavour itself Find our favourite finishing salt here or here. Perfectly Seared Scallops
Get out your favourite skillet (we like these) and turn up the heat! You want this pan to be really hot to properly sear the scallops. From our experience, cast iron gets too hot, and stainless steel may ruin your sear completely if the scallops stick to the pan. So we say stick to non stick. Add a tablespoon of butter and let it melt until it starts to brown. You want just enough butter so the pan isn’t dry.
Here’s the trick for that nice crust: lightly dredge the top and bottom of each scallop in a little flour. Just the smallest amount! And tap off any excess flour. You aren’t trying to bread these babies! You are just trying to get a thin layer to get a little crust. Do not flour the sides, leave them naked.
Place the scallops in the pan on one of the flat sides for 90 seconds. Once they are in the pan, DO NOT MOVE THEM AROUND. Just let them sit there in all their glory! If the scallops you
bought are fairly large and thick, go ahead and cover the pan for the first 30 s. After 90 s, gently turn the scallops over using tongs to avoid ruining the sear. Let them cook for another 90 s (up to 2 min max on this side depending on how done you like them). Again, cover the pan for about 30 s if you have thick scallops. After 90 s, they will be a medium rare doneness, but after 2 min, things go downhill really quickly. No one likes an overcooked scallop! – Perfectly Seared Scallops
You should serve these immediately, so make sure you prepped all your other side dishes before cooking the scallops. We like to have a couple lemon wedges handy to add a touch of citrus at the table. Perfectly Seared Scallops
If you try this recipe out, please let us know your thoughts! And feel free to tag us on Instagram ncmeatfishproduce so we can see your cooking skills in action!
This is the question I have asked myself about pan seared for years! I’ve seen people cook them, I’ve eaten them sooooo many times, and then I would try to make them and they would turn out rubbery or lacking that sweet flavour that I love so much! And on the aesthetic side, I could never achieve that beautiful sear that has a light crunch and holds all the flavour. The ultimate Guide to get the most perfect sear on scallops ever seen. Perfectly Seared Scallops
You may be looking at the photo here and screaming at this point…. JUST TELL US YOUR SECRETS! Patience child, we are getting there! Before we get there, let’s talk scallops for a minute.
What should I look for when buying scallops?
The key to an amazing pan seared begins at the grocery store Don’t just go to any dodgy store. Make sure those babies are fresh! From a Fish Market Preferably
How do I know if my market has fresh scallops?
Simple. Just ask at the fish counter! You should ask when the store received the scallops. Most stores give you an honest answer. If they are more than a couple days old, ask when they are getting their next shipment, and plan another meal for tonight.
Should I buy fresh or frozen scallops?
We are of the opinion that you should always try to find fresh, never frozen scallops. If you can’t find them in the store fresh, frozen will work, but make sure they were flash frozen or individually quick frozen (IQF) and were not treated with a solution that preserves them, aka, “wet” scallops. You can learn more about “wet” vs “dry” scallops here. Perfectly Seared Scallops
What kind of scallops are the best?
We at NcmeatfishProduce prefer diver scallops compared to farmed scallops. And we rarely buy the small bay scallops unless we are putting them in some kind of fish stew, or Cioppino.
What colour should a scallop be?
Most scallops will fall in the milky white to coral pink range. This has no effect on the taste of the scallop, and everything to do with male scallops vs female scallops during the spawning period. If the scallop looks dull and grey, it is likely old, so avoid these.
Should scallops smell “fishy?”. Perfectly Seared Scallops
Short answer, no! They should have a slightly sweet, sea-like smell, but not ever fishy. If the smell is pungent and makes you gag, DO NOT EAT THESE.
How to get that perfect sear
Now to the fun part! Let’s get cooking!
First, you will want to rinse the scallops and dry them completely. Do not soak, EVER! Just rinse and dry. If your scallops have a little piece of meat that looks like a small flap on the side, remove it. This in the abductor muscle and will be very tough if you try to cook it and eat it. These will easily pull right off. Your cats will love this piece of the scallop though, so go ahead and make your fur babies happy and share the love!
Next, season the scallops on both flat sides with salt and pepper. Don’t go overboard with the salt. You can always add a little finishing salt at the end if you need more. Remember, salt is a flavour enhancer, so salt should only be used to enhance the flavours you create, not as a flavour itself Find our favourite finishing salt here or here. Perfectly Seared Scallops
Get out your favourite skillet (we like these) and turn up the heat! You want this pan to be really hot to properly sear the scallops. From our experience, cast iron gets too hot, and stainless steel may ruin your sear completely if the scallops stick to the pan. So we say stick to non stick. Add a tablespoon of butter and let it melt until it starts to brown. You want just enough butter so the pan isn’t dry.
Here’s the trick for that nice crust: lightly dredge the top and bottom of each scallop in a little flour. Just the smallest amount! And tap off any excess flour. You aren’t trying to bread these babies! You are just trying to get a thin layer to get a little crust. Do not flour the sides, leave them naked.
Place the scallops in the pan on one of the flat sides for 90 seconds. Once they are in the pan, DO NOT MOVE THEM AROUND. Just let them sit there in all their glory! If the scallops you
bought are fairly large and thick, go ahead and cover the pan for the first 30 s. After 90 s, gently turn the scallops over using tongs to avoid ruining the sear. Let them cook for another 90 s (up to 2 min max on this side depending on how done you like them). Again, cover the pan for about 30 s if you have thick scallops. After 90 s, they will be a medium rare doneness, but after 2 min, things go downhill really quickly. No one likes an overcooked scallop!. Perfectly Seared Scallops
You should serve these immediately, so make sure you prepped all your other side dishes before cooking the scallops. We like to have a couple lemon wedges handy to add a touch of citrus at the table. Perfectly Seared Scallops
If you try this recipe out, please let us know your thoughts! And feel free to tag us on Instagram ncmeatproduce1/ so we can see your cooking skills in action!.
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