Culinary Tips From Chef Raven

Scallops

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about an avocado salsa and mentioned that it was the perfect accompaniment to pan-seared scallops. Since then, a few people have written to me and remarked that they had trouble cooking scallops at home. Most people said their scallops came out chewy.

There are couple of tips that will help to assure your success. First of all, ask the fish person to pick out scallops of equal size. If you have a bunch of big ones and a bunch of little ones, they are obviously going to cook differently. The larger ones normally have a better flavor. Try for scallops the size of a quarter or larger.

Make sure you rinse the scallops. The watery liquid that they come in is actually a chemical preservative and not just water. Rinse them and then blot them dry with paper towels. Salt & pepper them.

Now, take a sauté or frying pan and heat it over high heat. Once it is hot, add a touch of oil and then add your scallops. Cook them for 2 1/2 minutes on one side, then turn them and finish them off for 30 seconds on the other side.

--- © Chef Raven

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