Scallops Ep. 71 | Life at the Table

Scallops   The ocean is one of nature’s greatest gift givers. Shades of blue and green waters so vast, it’s a world that fuels our weather to nourish our planet and provides us food to nourish our bodies. Scallops are one of the most common types of seafood consumed.     What are Scallops? They are shellfish, a little bigger than an oyster, and their meat is tender, creamy, and rich. Scallops are members of the bivalve family which means they have two shells hinged together. Other bivalves include oysters, mussels, and clams. Scallops swim by clapping their two shells together and can be quite speedy. The tender meat we eat is the adductor muscle they use to open and close their shells. They are unique from other bivalves in that they have 50-100 blue-green eyes that circle their mantle. Their shells are the iconic sea shell form that fans around with deep ridges.   Know Before You Go to Buy There are two main types of scallops – sea and bay. The key differences between the two types are their size and where they’re harvested from. The smaller bay scallops live in and are harvested from shallow coastal waters, estuaries and bays, from New Jersey to the Gulf of Mexico. Sea scallops are larger and are harvested from open, deeper waters. All scallops are sold by the pound. When buying them you’ll see the letter “U” followed by a number. The number that follows the “U” simply means how many approximate pieces you can expect per pound. They’re packed with 80 percent protein and when you prepare them with healthly ingredients, just 3 ounces has under 100 calories.   Add These Tender, Tasty Beauties To Your Weeknight Cooking Repretoire! They cook in a flash when pan-seared. This is my favorite form of preparation.  Serve them with any side you typically enjoy with your seafood. Add these tender, tasty ocean beauties to your weeknight repertoire and be grateful for the diversity of flavors and ingredients the waters of the deep offer up. The post Scallops appeared first on Life At The Table.