Scallop Casserole Seafood Recipe - House Full of Monkeys (2024)

FAQs

Should frozen scallops be rinsed before cooking? ›

Give your scallops a quick rinse to remove any grit, then thoroughly pat dry with a few paper towels, as excess moisture will inhibit searing. For added insurance, you can dry your scallops in the fridge for an hour or two before cooking.

Colossal (10-20) and Jumbo (20-30) Scallops

Serving sizes: 2-4 colossal scallops or 4-6 jumbo scallops make a 3oz portion. Ranging from 10 to 30 scallops per pound, these plump mollusks are prized for their buttery texture and balance of sweet brininess.

You may have seen numbers like U-10 or U10/U20 next to the scallop labels before. Basically, this number tells you how big the scallops are, and how many you can expect to get per pound.

extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until the oil is very hot and shimmering. Use tongs to gently place the scallops in the pan, leaving plenty of room around each scallop. Cook scallops, undisturbed (repeat: do not move them), until they are deeply golden-brown on the first side, 3–4 minutes.

Never thaw scallops at room temperature. Rinse and pat dry. Rinse the scallops, then pat them dry with paper towels before cooking. If scallops have too much moisture on the outside, they won't brown properly.

Overcooking Your Scallops

With scallops, the (ahem) stakes are higher. Not only are they an expensive ingredient, but they cook very quickly. Worse yet, over-cooking leaves them dry and rubbery, rather than tender and sweet, and their size and shape make them impractical candidates for an instant-read thermometer.

If you're serving scallops as a main course with sides, plan on around 6 ounces per person. That would be 4-6 large (U10) sea scallops and 8-10 medium sized. Appetizer portions would be half of that.

Sea scallops are caught year-round up to 200 meters deep in cold sea waters, and normally range between 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter. A pound of sea scallops is typically made up of about 20 to 30 scallops. They're a little more chewy than tender bay scallops, but they still do best with a short cooking time.

How Many Scallops to Serve? One pound of scallops would be an appetizer serving four or as a main course for two.

As they say, you get what you pay for, and the price of scallops varies based on how they're harvested. Diver scallops are considered the rarest and, therefore, the most expensive on the market because they're harvested manually from the ocean floor, which ensures a superior product.

Can you eat scallops raw? ›

A: Yes, you can eat scallops raw to enjoy the natural flavors of the sea. However, you should only eat raw scallops at specialty restaurants or if you manage to buy fresh, dry scallops that aren't harvested in contaminated water.

It's 10 for a reason. Make sure you wash in free running water for at least 10 minutes after shucking, rinsing & trimming to ensure all toxins are effectively removed.

Scallops, like many other types of seafood, can have a mild fishy odor that some people find off-putting. Soaking scallops in milk before cooking can help alleviate this odor. Milk can neutralize or mask the fishy smell, resulting in a milder scent.

Because sea scallops have a chewier texture, searing them in a hot skillet is the simplest, most effective cooking method to achieving a crisp exterior and tender, just-firm texture within. Basting the scallops with butter helps finish cooking them and enhances browning, too.

Dry the Scallops

This not only seasons them, but will draw out a ton of surface moisture. Before you're ready to start cooking, pat the scallops dry with a paper towel. Expelling as much moisture as possible will help to create that signature, golden-brown crust on the outside.

I would gently thaw them in the microwave and then coat both sides with some lemon pepper and garlic powder prior to pan searing them in a bit of lemon butter. I serve these on a bed of fresh spinach lightly cooked in the pan juices. Mmm mmm good! Thawed sea scallops may be cooked exactly as you would fresh.

Frozen scallops are typically sold already shucked; thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, rather than using the microwave. If you purchase scallops in their shells, you'll need an oyster knife to open the shell and pry the meat free. Make sure to remove the frill and black stomach sack before rinsing the scallop.

Give your frozen fish a quick rinse and thorough drying

This will remove the thin layer of ice crystals on the outside of the filet that would otherwise prevent the outside from browning. Once you rinse them, make sure to thoroughly dry them with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.

Washing raw fish carries the same risks as washing poultry — by attempting to clean your seafood in the sink, you're actually spreading harmful bacteria to surfaces that likely won't be sanitized by heat or disinfectants before they come into contact with other food, according to Reader's Digest.