Do you like to eat shellfish? These small marine animals can indeed be a delicious and healthy dish. However, remember, scallops must first be cleaned in the right way before cooking so that the taste is more delicious and the safety is well maintained. Therefore, make sure you take the time to remove poor-quality shellfish, as well as submerge them in water, and scrub the shells to remove any remaining salt, grit, and other debris adhering to the surface of the shells.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Disposing of Poor Quality Shells
Step 1. Gently tap the surface of the shells open with a spoon, table surface, or your fingers
Throw away any shells that don't close when you tap them, as this means they're dead and unfit to eat.
Step 2. Also throw away any shells that look cracked, crushed, or damaged
Remember, bacteria can enter through damaged shells, making the shells no longer safe to eat. In addition, a broken shell also indicates that the shell is dead.
Step 3. Put the clams in a bowl of water
Also discard the clams that float instead of settling because that means they are dead. Be careful, toxins in shellfish that are dead or no longer fresh can contaminate your body, even after the clams have been thoroughly cooked.
Part 2 of 2: Soaking the Scallops
Step 1. Soak the scallops in a bowl of fresh or salt water
In fact, the method used really depends on the type of water you choose. However, the use of salt water is recommended because it is considered to mimic the natural habit of clams to clean themselves.
- To soak clams in salt water, first mix 100 grams of salt with 4 liters of water. Then, soak the clams for 30 minutes in the solution. After 30 minutes, remove the shells with the help of your hands. Prepare a second bowl that also contains the brine solution, then submerge the clams in the second bowl. This process should be repeated at least 1-2 times.
- If you choose the fresh water method, the scallops can be soaked immediately in a bowl of tap water or cold boiled water for 20 minutes to an hour. During this time, any kind of salt, sand, or natural dirt that is attached to the surface of the shells will be released.
Step 2. Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the clam soaking water
In addition to changing the taste of the clams to be a little sweeter after they are cooked, corn flour is also effective in cleaning the remaining sand that is attached to the surface of the shells.
Step 3. Remove the clams from the water with your hands
Since any dirt on the clams will settle to the bottom of the bowl, do not remove the clams through a sieve. Instead, lift the shells with your hands to prevent them from becoming contaminated again.
Step 4. Scrub the shells with a stiff bristle brush
After that, rinse the clams under running tap water to remove any remaining dust and dirt adhering to the outer shell.
Tips
Generally, clams are stored in a pile of ice cubes to keep them fresh. If you are worried about the freshness of the shellfish that you are going to buy, don't hesitate to ask the seller
Warning
- Don't eat shellfish whose shells don't open when cooked. Chances are, the shells are rotten and/or infected with bacteria. To avoid the risk of food poisoning, discard all shellfish with these characteristics.
- After cleaning, the clams must be cooked immediately so that they do not have the potential to cause health problems for those who eat them.
