I mean the body of the scallop, not just the adductor muscle which we all love. With clams and oysters, we eat the whole succulent body and toss away the adductor muscles (which are small, anyway).
Scallops have big muscles because they swim around. I've seen them swimming in shallow water at low tide. It's sort of crazy to see a bivalve swimming.
(You know how to remember Adduction vs Abductor muscles? Abduction means to take away.)
In Asia, they eat the whole body of a scallop. Not here, or rarely. Gourmets do love the scallop roe, though. It's called "coral," for its color.
We have Bay Scallops (expensive, small, with sweet and tender muscle) and Sea Scallops (large, chewy, with those big muscles).
We are making scallop/bacon hors d'oevres for Thanksgiving, so scallops are on my mind.
Photo is an opened Bay Scallop. Lots of gills but not a plump body like a clam.
Do you have any favorite scallop recipes? In my view, Bay Scallops only need 45 seconds tossed in butter on a hot skillet. A sauce with Bay Scallops is obscene. Recipes come into view with the big Sea Scallops. Broiled with bacon wrap is great. So is making a ceviche with them. That is dynamite. The trick with all scallops is that it is better to undercook than overcook them.
