I like scallops. I know the difference between “dry” scallops and wet scallops.
While shopping at my local grocer a few weeks ago, I noticed they had “dry sea scallop halves” for $6.99/lb. This is a ridiculously low price for dry sea scallops. Whole dry sea scallops are usually $20/lb. What would account for them having “halves?” I bought them and indeed they were dry. Seared up great. I found the same a few weeks later. Same price. Good eats.
So, my question is–are they just pieces that occur in normal harvesting and cant be sold as whole sea scallops or something else?
BTW, I sear in clarified butter. Do you prefer olive oil? Other?
They could be culls, scallops that were damaged or not well shaped. You’d also have to check the packaging carefully, there are ‘scallop products’ out there, not whole scallops but processed and reformed scallop meat.
Wet scallops have been soaked in liquid containing phosphates. It makes them very white in color but they shrink a lot when you cook them, don’t brown well, and just don’t taste as good. Dry scallops haven’t been treated. Just get Dry, there’s no point to the wet scallops.
Here In the US, unless they’re advertised as “dry pack,” they are almost certainly wet pack. That’s the default here, and there’s a huge price difference. Wet pack can be $10/lb, dry $20.
