Warning: This Common Mistake Could Ruin Your Scallops’ Flavor!

Scallop season is in full swing. A holiday favorite, scallops are enjoyed in various dishes, from raw carpaccio to pan-seared, baked au gratin, or even in pastry, as Chef Norbert Tarayre demonstrates. However, before cooking, they require a bit of cleaning, which is where many of us go wrong, according to the chef.

Fresh scallops may sometimes have sand in them. This can be quite unpleasant if not properly cleaned. Most online recipes suggest soaking the scallops and their roe in a bowl of cold water to remove the sand, ostensibly preventing any gritty surprises during the meal. However, Chef Norbert Tarayre advises against this practice: “A scallop is like a sponge,” he explains in his YouTube video. “If you soak it too much, it will lose its flavor!” Soaking the scallops can cause them to absorb water, diluting their flavor. During cooking, they will release moisture instead of searing properly. To remove sand and other impurities, Tarayre recommends a quick rinse under running water, as he demonstrates in his video. Afterwards, he stores them in the refrigerator until he’s ready to cook. If you’re preparing scallops in pastry as Tarayre does, simply dry them thoroughly with a clean towel before wrapping them between two discs of puff pastry. Make a small cut on the top of the pastry and bake the pastries for 10 minutes at 425°F.

If you plan to pan-sear the scallops in butter, lightly dust them with flour before searing them in a hot skillet. This helps with the Maillard reaction, ensuring they brown more easily and guaranteeing a delicious meal.