Scallops, or in the international culinary world, better known as scallops, are members of the scallop family with white flesh and very fine texture, and are commonly served in five-star restaurants at exorbitant prices. For those of you who have tight pockets, don't worry because in truth, processing ax shells in a private kitchen is not as difficult as moving mountains. To save money, buy ax shells that are still frozen because they will still taste fresh if cooked properly. Once the scallops are softened, you can fry or grill them right away for a plate that is not only delicious, but also luxurious!
Ingredients
Frying Sea Ax Scallops
- 680 grams of ax shells that have been removed from their shells
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. lemon juice (optional)
Will make: 4 servings
Grilling Sea Ax Scallops
- 680 grams of ax shells that have been removed from their shells
- 120 ml melted butter
- 1 tbsp. (5 grams) minced garlic
- 70 grams of white bread flour
- tsp. salt
- tsp. pepper
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
- Squeeze 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp. fermented white wine (optional)
- tsp. lemon thyme (optional)
Will make: 3 servings
Step
Method 1 of 3: Soften Sea Ax Shells
Step 1. Clean the frozen clams with the shells
Open the clam shells by inserting a bread knife into the middle. Once the shell is open, rinse the meat inside with cold running tap water to remove any dirt or grime. After that, use the same knife to pry the clam meat out of the shell.
- If the scallops are not frozen with the shells, skip this step.
- Make sure the clams are only rinsed in cold water so they don't end up mushy.
Step 2. Place the clams in the refrigerator at least 24 hours before cooking
First, put the clam meat in a large bowl, then cover the surface with plastic wrap. After that, put the bowl in the refrigerator for at least a day before the clams are cooked. The next day, check the texture of the scallops. If the scallops are still frozen and covered in ice crystals, refrigerate for a few hours.
- Make sure the bowl is large enough to hold the shells and melted ice crystals.
- Process the clams one to two days after they are refrigerated.
Step 3. Soak the clams in cold water for at least an hour before cooking to soften their texture quickly
Fill a bowl with cold water, then soak the clam shells in it. Make sure the clam packaging is really tightly closed so that water doesn't get into it, OK! After that, let the packaging sit for an hour so that the temperature of the shellfish inside slowly decreases and the texture softens.
- Make sure that water does not get into the package so that the texture of the shells does not change.
- If the clams don't have special packaging, try putting them in a plastic clip bag before submerging them in water.
Step 4. Soften the clams in the microwave if you need to use them immediately
First, put the scallops in a heat-resistant container, then cover the surface with a paper towel to prevent splashing and stabilize the temperature. After that, turn on the "defrost" option on the microwave, and heat the clams at 30 second intervals until they are really soft.
Turn on the microwave at 30% power, otherwise the “defrost” option is not available
Method 2 of 3: Frying Sea Ax Scallops
Step 1. Lightly pat the surface of the clams with a paper towel to dry them
Remember, scallops should be dried well before cooking so they don't shrivel up when exposed to hot temperatures. In addition, shellfish that still contain water will also end up "steaming" instead of frying when cooked. Set aside the drained scallops on a separate plate to prevent the texture from getting soggy again.
Dried scallops can also brown more easily when fried
Step 2. Sprinkle the surface of the scallops with salt and pepper
Take a pinch of salt and pepper and sprinkle it over the surface of the clams to season them. After that, press the clams so that the salt and pepper flavors can be absorbed better.
Step 3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium to high heat
Pour in about 1 tbsp. olive oil on a frying pan, then wait until the oil is really hot. To check the correct temperature of the pan, try sprinkling water in it. If the water evaporates immediately when it comes into contact with the bottom of the pan, the oil is hot enough to use.
If you want, you can also use butter instead of olive oil
Step 4. Arrange the clams about 2.5 cm apart on the pan
Place the clams into the pan with the help of tongs, and make sure the clams make a hissing sound when they come into contact with the hot oil. Fry as many clams as possible at the same time, keeping the distance between each clam.
If necessary, fry the clams gradually
Step 5. Fry each side of the scallops for 2-3 minutes
Do not move or flip the clams while frying so that they are fully browned. When they're ready to turn, the clams shouldn't feel sticky in the pan when lifted with tongs. Then cook the other side for 2 minutes or until the clams are firm when pressed. Drain the cooked scallops.
- Do not fry the scallops too long so that the texture is not sticky.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the shellfish's internal temperature is 63 degrees Celsius.
Step 6. Serve the scallops while warm
Ideally, one individual serving contains 4-5 scallops served on a warm plate. To enrich the taste, add enough lemon juice to the surface of the scallops.
- If it's being served as an evening meal, make sure the scallops are cooked last to keep them warm when served.
- Place the remaining shellfish in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for a maximum of 3-4 days.
- Warm a heatproof dish for 30 seconds in the microwave.
Method 3 of 3: Grilling Sea Ax Scallops
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 204 degrees Celsius
Make sure one of the roasting racks is in the center of the oven. After that, wait until the oven is really hot before the scallops are baked.
Step 2. Pour the melted butter and garlic mixture into a heatproof baking dish
Previously, melt the butter for 30 seconds, then dip the minced garlic into the melted butter to make it easier to pour into the bottom of the pan.
To enrich the taste of mussels, pour 1 tbsp. ferment white wine to the bottom of the pan
Step 3. Arrange the clams on the bottom of the pan, side by side and not overlapping
Make sure the bottom of the scallops is coated with the butter and garlic mixture so that the flavors of the two can be absorbed well into the scallop meat.
Step 4. Mix the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and parsley before sprinkling them over the shells
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, then take a pinch of the seasoning and sprinkle it evenly over the surface of the clams.
Mix tsp. thyme lemon if you want to add a slightly sour herbal flavor to the scallops
Step 5. Bake the scallops for 18-20 minutes
Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake the clams until done. Remember, the oven door must not be opened so that the heat inside remains stable when in use. After 20 minutes, remove the scallops when the crust is already brown.
Make sure the internal temperature of the scallops has reached 63 degrees Celsius before serving. If this temperature has not been reached, re-bake the scallops
Step 6. Serve the scallops while warm
Ideally, one serving contains 4-5 shellfish. If possible, place the scallops on a preheated serving plate so they don't cool down while serving. To make the taste a little more tart, add the juice of a slice of lemon to the surface of the scallops.
- Place the remaining shellfish in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- When they are warmed up, place the scallops on a heatproof plate. Then, put the plate in the microwave and warm the clams for 30 seconds.
Warning
- Make sure the scallop's internal temperature has reached 63 degrees Celsius before consuming it.
- Discard shellfish that are slimy or smell fishy.
