Scallop Cleaning Tutorial

It seems like every time I clean up scallops, folks are watching and asking questions. So I decided to make an album up showing the how-to of it. Thanks to Carl Bayer for the pics.

This, my friends, is a scallop

Hold with the flatter shell facing down. Insert scallop knife (divers two has the best ones), and scrape as close to the shell as possible.

Open shell, hopefully you've done a closer cut than I did on this one

Take a handful of guts,and carefully lift them up. They should come off in one piece. Toss them overboard. It's best if others are still in the water, so they can appreciate the attention that a nice chum slick generates

Scrape the muscle as close to the shell as possible

Some folks discard this little piece, as it is relatively chewy. Me, I like it.

Serve with one of these

My favorite way to cook them is to put a cast iron pan on high. When its hot add a dab of oil, butter or both, just enough so the scallop won't stick. You can use a non-stick pan, but I prefer cast iron because you can get it much hotter, and it doesn't cool off as quickly. Drop the scallop in, if your pan is hot enough they'll jump when they hit the heat, and caramelize nicely. I just give them 30 seconds or so per side, so the inside is still raw. In a cold pan they'll just sit there spitting out water and poaching, which is a crime. They are also nice in a ceviche, or grilled wrapped in bacon.