King Scallop (Dredged)
Pecten maximus
The same species as hand-dived scallops (west-coast-scallops), but harvested by dredging rather than diving. Dredged scallops are significantly cheaper (£10-18/kg vs £20-35/kg for hand-dived) and more widely available — most supermarket scallops are dredged. The quality is lower: dredging damages some shells and picks up grit, and the environmental impact on the seabed is greater. However, for dishes where scallops are cooked in a sauce (risotto, pasta, pie), dredged scallops are perfectly adequate and much better value than hand-dived.
Seasonality
Buying
Buy from a fishmonger counter rather than pre-packed if possible — you can see the quality and check for grit. Frozen scallops are fine for cooking in sauces. For pan-searing, fresh is noticeably better. If you can afford hand-dived, they're worth the premium for searing; for everything else, dredged is fine.
Storage
Fresh scallops: refrigerate and use within 2 days. Frozen: defrost overnight in the fridge on kitchen paper (they release a lot of water). Pat completely dry before searing — wet scallops steam rather than caramelise.
Cooking methods
Pan-sear in a smoking hot pan with butter for 90 seconds per side (no more). Bake in the half-shell with garlic breadcrumbs. Add to a seafood risotto in the last 3 minutes. Grill with chorizo crumbs and lemon.
At a glance
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