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Many years ago, I bought some sea scallops. It was a
cool day, and I came home directly from the store and refrigerated them,
but when I opened the bag to start dinner a nauseating smell hit my
nostrils. Even now, remembering that smell makes my stomach turn. I
resealed the bag and stuck it back in the fridge. We had something else for
supper.
The scallops weren’t cheap, and the next day I
returned to the store. I nicely explained the situation to the woman
who’d sold them to me, handed her the bag, and asked for my money
back. She opened it and immediately the disgusting aroma (now even worse)
filled the air. “They seem OK to me,” she said. “They’re really not,” I replied
firmly (but still nicely), trying not to gag. She looked at me with a scowl. “Well,
I’ll give you your money back,” she said grudgingly, “but
scallops are supposed to smell strong.”
No, they’re not. Scallops should have barely
any odor at all; what odor there is should be clean and fresh, like an
ocean breeze. Since then I have asked to smell fish or seafood before
buying it. It’s totally appropriate to do so, and no reputable
fishmonger will be offended. Another thing I always ask about, in a restaurant or
buying scallops to prepare myself, is whether they are “dry
pack.” Scallops are more perishable than many other types of seafood;
consequently, they’re typically shucked on the boat as they’re
caught. Most are then soaked in a solution of water and sodium
tripolyphosphate, or STP. The chemical, which acts as a preservative, is
generally recognized as safe when used in moderation. STP also plumps
scallops up with water — and that’s where the problem begins.
Strong solutions cause them to increase in weight by as much as 25 percent,
which many sellers use to increase their “production.”
Unfortunately, it also gives the scallops an unpleasantly tinny overtone,
and the unnatural amount of absorbed moisture is exuded when they’re
cooked, making it impossible to brown them. Even if they’re not to be
browned, that chemical-tasting liquid flows from the scallops into the
dish. Yuck! Dry-pack scallops are packed in ice and shipped
immediately. Even without asking, it’s usually easy to tell whether
scallops in the store are wet- or dry-pack. Dry-pack scallops are ivory or
palest tan, usually with slight color variations. Wet-pack scallops are
uniformly bleached white and sitting in a pool of milky liquid. You’d
expect dry-packs to be costlier, but that’s not always the case.
Whereas very cheap scallops (frozen or fresh) are sure to be wet-packs,
I’ve seen wet-packs offered — sometimes even at places that
should know better — at about the same price I pay for higher quality dry-packs
elsewhere.
Contact Julianne Glatz at realcuisine.jg@gmail.com.
Ceviche is a wonderful way to use fresh scallops and
a perfect light dish for summer. Ceviches, which may be prepared with many
kinds of fish and seafood, are found throughout Latin America but are
especially popular in Peru. The lime-juice marinade “cooks” the
fish or seafood.
Ceviche with Seafood, Avocado, and Grapefruit
1 pound dry-pack bay or sea scallops, or small
shrimp, either singly or in combination 1/2 cup fresh lime juice, plus more if needed 1 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced ripe tomatoes 1 teaspoon habanero or Scotch bonnet hot sauce or to taste, optional 1 tablespoon honey 1 medium jalepeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and
cut into thin slivers, optional 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro 1/4 cup loosely packed mint One large or two medium/small grapefruit, preferably pink or red One large or two medium/small ripe avocadoes Olive oil for drizzling Soft lettuce leaves
Seafood for ceviche should be as fresh as
possible. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise. Leave tiny bay scallops whole; cut
larger ones in half crosswise. Cut sea scallops into thin slices or small
dice; this is easier to do if they are partially frozen (10 to 20 minutes
in a single layer in the freezer). Combine the seafood with the lime juice
in a bowl or resealable plastic bag and let it stand until the seafood
turns opaque, about 30 minutes. If you are using two kinds of seafood,
it’s best to marinate them separately (which may require additional
lime juice), because their “cooking” times may differ. Soak the onion in salted water (1 tablespoon salt
dissolved in 1 cup water) for 20 minutes, then drain it and squeeze it dry.
Mince half of the herbs and tear the rest into
pieces. Combine the tomatoes, hot sauce, honey, jalapeño, and minced
herbs in a large bowl. Add the onion and mix gently. When the seafood is
opaque, drain it well, add to the bowl, and toss the contents gently. The
ceviche may be refrigerated for as long as 4 hours at this point. Cut each avocado in half and twist to separate the
halves, then remove the pit. Cut the rind off the grapefruit with a large
sharp knife, being careful to remove all of the bitter white pith. Remove
the grapefruit sections from their casings, then discard the casings and
seeds.
The grapefruit and avocado can be cut into bite-size
chunks and mixed in with the ingredients in the bowl, or the grapefruit can
be left in sections and the avocado cut into thin slices for a
“composed” presentation. For each serving, lay a lettuce leaf on a plate (or
use a handful of baby lettuce leaves). Divide the ceviche among the plates.
If you are using whole grapefruit sections and avocado slices, arrange them
decoratively around the mound of ceviche on each plate. Drizzle the dish
with olive oil and scatter the remaining herbs on top. Serve immediately.
Serves four to eight.
This recipe may be prepared as long as four hours
ahead (refrigerate if not serving immediately), except for the avocado,
which should be added just before serving. It can also be used as a dip
with tortilla chips: Eliminate the grapefruit and cut the seafood and
avocado into medium dice and the onion into fine dice.
This article appears in Jul 3-9, 2008.
