Fish and Seafood | Scallops

Fossilised scallop shells (like the one used in the logo of a famous oil company) can be traced back to 400BC. They have long been sought after as a delicacy, hand-dived from sheltered waters and sandy-bottomed sea lochs around the west coast of Scotland where fishing developed in the 19th century. In the 1950s, a dredge-and-dive industry flourished and from the 1970s, scallop farming was introduced.

Around eight inches across, King or Great scallops are larger than the three-inch Queen scallops, but both have a creamy, white muscle and a bright orange roe (called coral). The younger Princess scallops on the other hand have reddish-pink shells and creamy-white muscle but have not yet developed any roe.

Princess scallops are harvested at about 12 months, Queen scallops between 18 months to two years while King scallops are placed on the seabed until they are four or five. In the wild, scallops can live up to 20 years old, by which time their muscle becomes quite tough and they are not so good to eat. Counting the rings on a scallop’s shell can determine its age – like a tree, a year for each one, although a ring can also mark a stressful event in its life.

Scallops are filter feeders but unlike mussels and oysters they can’t close their shells completely and thus can only survive in deeper salt water. They also have ‘eyes’ in their sensory tentacles and can swim, propelling a jet of water that carries them away from danger such as hungry crabs and starfish.

Farmed scallops are available all year, but wild ones are out of season in November when they spawn. Scallops can be bought live, in the shell or shelled. To prevent them drying out, shelled scallops may be soaked in water, and in this diluted state, they are much less tasty. Soaked scallops are not suitable for frying or grilling but can be used in sauces.

Scallops should be consumed as soon as possible after buying and their shells are opened with a sharp knife or by heating them in the oven. Steam, shallow-fry in butter or grill with bacon but don’t cook them for long. Small ones need only a few seconds and larger ones should only take a minute or so.