Hurrah, it’s almost here… Although dates vary throughout New Zealand, South Island Scallop Season (excluding Southland and Fiordland) runs from 15 July to 14 February inclusive, check out the Boaties website for more information.
These wonderful shellfish are a perfect pairing with Fairbourne Premium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc but the secret lies in the perfect searing; cooked well they will be deliciously tender and will melt in your mouth; cooked poorly and you’ll feel like you’re chewing on an old tyre!
So we thought we would share our top tips for cooking the perfect scallop…
- Once you have cleaned the scallops, make sure they are perfectly dry… Pat them with a paper towel to ensure there is no excess moisture.
- Prepare your cooking and serving kit… Pan, tongs, oil or butter, plates, seasoning, salad leaves… These little beauties take no time at all, so you need everything ready so that you can eat them just as they are cooked.
- Roe, roe, roe your boat… Please don’t remove the roe; the roe contributes so much to the overall taste and flavour of this wee morsel, it is a great culinary crime to serve them without the pink!
- Get things sizzling… Make sure your pan is smoking hot. You want to hear the sound of sizzling as soon as you pop in your scallops.
- Keep it quick… Depending on size you’re looking at a minute or two on each side. They should be light and golden, and just cooked through. Over cooking scallops is also a culinary crime!
- Save the seasoning until they’re cooked… If you add the salt before cooking your scallops, it will draw out moisture and toughen them up.
These morsels of goodness, need little in the form of flash sauces or dressings. However, if you would like to add a little pizazz, cook your scallops in unsalted butter, and just as you turn them over to cook for the second minute, add a few well drained anchovy fillets, a little parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice, for a delicious anchovy butter sauce.
