Bay Scallops Recipes

Species Name: Bay Scallop (Argopecten irradians). Regional names include Cape Cod, Long Island or Peconic scallops.

Geography: Cape Cod through Long Island, occasionally found as far south as North Carolina; also available in Canada, South America and China.

Seasonality: Year round (farmed & frozen) and fresh from fall to early winter, or until seasonal quotas are met.

Appearance/Flavor: Shells range from brown to purple, tan to orange. Meat is translucent when raw ranging from milky to pink. Upon cooking, the meat becomes opaque. The meat is very sweet, plump and firm.

Buying/Handling/Storing: Fresh scallops should have a sweet-seaweed scent. Foul/sour smelling scallops should be discarded. Rinse the scallops before taking the scent test. Scallops should be kept no longer than two weeks refrigerated at 35 F. If stored in muslin bags on ice, change ice frequently to eliminate bacterial contamination. Bury the scallops in ice if stored in metal or plastic.

Cooking Methods: Steam, saute, broil, grill or place on brochette sticks for 1 to 4 minutes. To prevent toughening and loss of flavor, do not overcook. Often served raw or as seviche, using lemon or lime juice to "cook" the meat.

Harvesting Method: Primarily raked, dredged or tonged from shallow inlets and bays. Farmed in New England and Nova Scotia.

Source: AboutSeafood.com

Baked Bay Scallops

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) package
   Beacon Light^® Bay Scallops
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 garlic cloves, crushed
   (or as desired)
1 tbps. finely minced onion
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1/8 cup white wine or sherry
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. diced onion
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced

Makes 2 servings

Directions:

Thaw seafood per instructions. Combine the softened butter, bread crumbs, garlic, minced onion, parsley, wine, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Chill until mixture is firm, at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease shallow baking dish or au gratin pan, set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté briefly. Drain off liquid. Arrange scallop mixture in prepared dish. Slice chilled garlic butter and arrange evenly over scallops. Bake until butter is hot and bubbly, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately. Scallops can also be broiled. Place about 3 inches from heat and broil until bubbly, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Download a printable copy (Acrobat PDF - 183k)

Honey-Broiled Bay Scallops

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) package
   Beacon Light^® Bay Scallops*
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Optional: Sesame seeds for garnish

1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon low-sodium
   soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Makes 2 servings

Directions:

Thaw seafood per instructions. Combine lime juice, oil, honey, soy sauce, and ginger; add scallops and toss to coat. Spray a nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray and spread out scallops. Retain remaining marinade. Broil 4 to 6 inches from source of heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and baste with reserved marinade and continue cooking another 2 to 3 minutes or until scallops are opaque throughout.

*Also excellent with Sea Scallops

Download a printable copy (Acrobat PDF - 89k)

Lemon Bay Scallops Grilled in Foil

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) package
   Beacon Light^® Bay Scallops
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp. white wine

2 tbsp. cold butter, chopped
  into pieces
salt and black pepper to taste

Makes 2 servings

Directions:

Thaw seafood per instructions. Make a "tray" with sides about 1 inch high out of foil. Place scallops on foil. Sprinkle on lemon, butter pieces, wine, salt and pepper. Place on grill and cook until scallops are opaque white on the inside (about 7 to 9 minutes).

Download a printable copy (Acrobat PDF - 182k)

Linguine with Bay Scallops

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) package
   Beacon Light^® Bay Scallops
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tbsp.
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter
   (optional)
1 tbsp. minced garlic

Salt and freshly ground black
  pepper to taste
1/4 cup toasted plain
  bread crumbs
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 lb. linguine or spaghetti

Makes 2 servings

Directions:

Thaw seafood per instructions. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut bay scallops in half. Combine 1/4 cup olive oil with the butter, if you are using it, and the garlic in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until the garlic turns pale tan, stirring occasionally. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the scallops, salt, and pepper, and cook just until the surface of the scallops turns opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and half the parsley and turn off the heat. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta until it is tender but firm. When it is just about done, reheat the scallops over medium heat. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid if you omitted the butter. Toss the pasta with the sauce and the remaining olive oil, add a little pasta-cooking water if necessary, and top with the remaining parsley.

Download a printable copy (Acrobat PDF - 183k)