Why don't my scallops sear properly?

[KissTC]

As Attie says, we here in Australia don't have these chemically treated scollops...Not that I am aware of anyway.

The only scollops I have even seen that do not have the roe attached, are packet frozen ones. I also think it is normal and common here to get scollops still in the shell.

So I can only guess to an answer, because I have never cooked chemically treated scollops. But my educated guess is the SS pan. Stainless steel really is not very good at all for cooking. I would suggest using a heavy cast iron pan. Or as a second best, carbon steel wok.

Even with copper ply, I just can't see in my mind SS staying hot enough for hot fast cooking. I think that is the problem.

I hope that is of help

[DramaQueen]

[quote=jennyema;663627]

Originally Posted by DramaQueen

Chef June was disagreeing with the comment that adding butter at the end of cooking will sear the scallops.

She's right. The butter doesn't sear the scallops. The hot pan does.
You can sear scallops using butter, for sure, but it's not the butter that does the searing.

OOPS. Sorry ChefJune - I misread the quote.
"Tis better to remain silent and be.........etc."

[ironchef]

If you're going to add butter, what you want to do is to get a good sear on the first side of the scallops using just oil, and then add the butter after you flip the scallops over. Then, use a spoon and baste the scallops with the butter/oil mixture in the pan. This will give you additional browning and some flavor from the butter. You can use this technique when pan searing pretty much anything.

[pugger]

Fish for dinner (well me anyway, DW had chicken - she won't eat seafood). They had the bacon wrapped scallops - about 2-1/2 inch round on skewers, and then they had a bunch of smaller scallops at the store the other night. I thought about the scallops for a moment, then went for a Tuna steak.

If I bought the bacon-wrapped scallops on a skewer (believe there were 3 on it), it's $10 worth so I want to do a good job. What is the best way to cook these?

[ChefJune]

Originally Posted by pugger

Fish for dinner (well me anyway, DW had chicken - she won't eat seafood). They had the bacon wrapped scallops - about 2-1/2 inch round on skewers, and then they had a bunch of smaller scallops at the store the other night. I thought about the scallops for a moment, then went for a Tuna steak.

If I bought the bacon-wrapped scallops on a skewer (believe there were 3 on it), it's $10 worth so I want to do a good job. What is the best way to cook these?

If you want to make beautiful bacon-wrapped scallops, your bacon needs to be precooked before you wrap it around the scallops. If you don't do it this way, your scallop will have turned into a pencil eraser bvefore the bacon is fully cooked.

[pugger]

Well, the bacon they have wrapped around is definitely not cooked & I wouldn't have thought about it - thanks !

Wonder how I would do that, crispy bacon is going to break into pieces. Guess I don't cook it too long?

[BreezyCooking]

Just remove the bacon & just partially cook it - not to the crisp stage. In fact, it probably won't get crispy crisp after it finishes cooking around the scallops anyway, but giving it an initial par-cook at least won't have it raw.

[ChefJune]

Originally Posted by BreezyCooking

Just remove the bacon & just partially cook it - not to the crisp stage. In fact, it probably won't get crispy crisp after it finishes cooking around the scallops anyway, but giving it an initial par-cook at least won't have it raw.

Breezy's got it right, but the bacon should brown nicely around the scallop after you've cooked it first -- just about half-way.

[BBQ Mikey]

****** now I want scallops.

My 2 cents, the scallops were too close together on the original sear.