Scallop, bay

Scientific name:  Argopecten irradians
Market names:  Scallop or bay scallop
Common names:  Cape Cod, Cape, Long Island or Peconic scallop, China bay

The Bay Scallop Story

A small cousin of sea scallops, bay scallops average 70 to 100 meats per pound. They are dredged, raked or tonged from bays, harbors and salt ponds along the East Coast from Atlantic Canada to North Carolina and processed ashore. They are also farmed in Nova Scotia and New England in suspended systems. A less expensive, farmed bay scallop is imported from China. Though there is a niche market in the United States for whole, live scallops, the product typically seen on the market is actually just part of the whole animal; the guts are removed and discarded, leaving just the adductor muscle, which is the edible meat. The meats are available “wet” (soaked in a preservative like tripolyphosphate, which whitens the scallop and extends shelf life) or “dry” (untreated). Oversoaked scallops look artificially shiny, opaque and flabby and will have a soapy feel and aftertaste. They will also release more liquid and shrink more when cooked.

Product Profile

Mild and sweet, bay scallops are considered the best-tasting of the scallop species. Raw, the lean, cork-shaped meat is translucent, with color ranging from creamy to pink. The texture should be firm and moist, not slippery and spongy. Cooked meat is opaque white and firm.

Top-quality scallops should have an ivory translucence and elastic springiness that allows them to keep their shape. Fresh bay scallops smell sweet and seaweedy. They should not be sitting in water. Sour-smelling scallops — especially with overtones of iodine — should be rejected.

You Should Know...

Beware of calico scallops being sold as bays. Shucked calicos are easy to identify because they are pale white, opaque around the edges and very small — even smaller than bays.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 100g/3.5 oz. (raw)
Amount per serving
Calories 80
Fat Calories 6
Total Fat 0.6 g
Saturated Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol N/A
Sodium N/A
Protein 14.8 g
Omega-3 0.1 g

Cooking Tips

Bay scallops are small and cook quickly. While scallops are most commonly eaten cooked, bays are sometimes enjoyed raw because of their size and freshness. However, consumers in high-risk categories should avoid eating all raw shellfish. For a scallop seviche, use lemon or lime juice to “cook” the tender meats. Steam gently for use in salads. Don’t overcook; scallops will toughen and lose flavor. They’re done as soon as the outside of the meat turns opaque.

Substitutions: Sea scallops, Calico scallops

Cooking Methods

Bake, Broil, Fry, Poach, Sauté, Steam

Primary Product Forms

Live

Fresh

• Meats

Frozen

• Meats (IQF)
• Blocks

Value-added

• Smoked meats
• Breaded/battered (frozen)
• Entrées (frozen)

---

Put this information and more at your fingertips with the Seafood Handbook

If you buy, source, process, study, sell, prepare, handle or work with seafood, you need the Seafood Handbook. The only professional seafood reference book available anywhere.

Visit Wiley.com to save 15% on The Seafood Handbook and more! Your discount will be applied automatically upon checkout. If you do you not see the discount being applied, please enter code aff15 in the Promotion Code field and click the Apply Discount button.

Order the Seafood Handbook Today!