This time of year many Seattlites are heading north in powerboats, sailboats and seaplanes, seeking the warm water, rugged coastal wilderness and bounty of seafood that can be found off the Northern coastline of British Columbia. Over the years, I’ve shared posts on some of our favorite fresh seafood feasts we’ve made from our Salish Sea harvests, including Clams with Pappardelle pasta, Pacific Spot Prawns, Oyster Poorboy Sandwiches, and Campfire Paella.
But, today I want to share with my boating buddies {both the salty and the cyber sort} one of the greatest culinary prizes we’ve come to enjoy, these giant Sea Scallops. You may have to go a bit out of your way to get them, but once you tastes one of these melt~in~your mouth scallops, which are delicious just off the shell, you’ll be happy to have made the effort.
The new owners of this scallop plantation on the Southwest corner of the central Penn Island, between Read and Cortez, near Heriot Bay are open to sharing information and scallops with local boaters. It’s best to call or text them in advance to make sure they will be on site and to give them an idea of how many scallops you would like. The contact information is at the bottom of the post.
Once you get in the area, their docks are some of the only structures you’ll see. Beneath the waters in front of the docks are rows and rows of giant scallops. The mesh bags, in which the scallops live, are deep in the water, to protect them from the sunlight.
On the day we stopped in a year ago, I had asked for a couple dozen scallops and they had them ready and waiting for me.
They have a small dock into which you can motor, but I usually kayak in.
Opening these bivalves may take a little practice and Gary and Rita will be happy to do a demonstration. Here’s my techique: use a pliable knife with a blade that is at least 6″. Place the rounded side of the shell in the palm of your hand. Find an opening in the shell and slide the knife along the inside of the upward facing, flat shell. Try to hold the knife as close to the inside of the shell as possible as you slice across to sever the connecting muscle.
Here is what it will look like when opened. The dark part of the base of the shell is the stomach and intestinal system, which needs to be discarded. Some people like to batter and fry the outer mantle that surrounds the very edible abductor muscle and coral you see in the center of the shell.
If you like, you may want to save the liquor to add flavor to rices or soups. Use the knife to cut away parts surrounding the scallop {and orange roe or coral} I usually do this on the back of the boat, tossing it all overboard.
When you are finished, you will have a marvelous morsel which you and your friends and family will be ready to devour. These scallops require very little preparation to enjoy them. In fact, you really don’t have to do anything at all, because they have a wonderful firm, yet melt in your mouth texture when eaten straight from the shell, at a sushi restaurant it’s called Hotategai or 帆立貝, 海扇.
The flavor is something like sweet butter with a splash of salty brine, simply delicious.
But if you want to spunk it up a bit, quickly sear each side in butter and garlic.
The cooked scallops can be cut into chunks and served in a cleaned shell with a toothpick for an easy appetizer.
A few of these meaty morsels can make a quinoa salad into a meal. Here we tossed quinoa with a melange of vegetables and dressed it with a little Splendid Vinaigarette before topping it with some freshly shucked scallops.
The live scallops are a bit particular about their care, here is how I store them on the boat to extend our bounty for a few days:
When at anchor, the scallops can be hung off the boat in a mesh bag, but make sure to have them at least 10 feet deep, they can die if they have too much sun. Also, the bag needs to be roomy enough that they can open and close their shells.
While underway, the scallops need darkness as well and they need to be able to open and close their shells to breath. I keep them in a cooler, after spreading some ice on the floor of the cooler, I cover it with a towel that has been soaked in sea water. The cooler has to be blocked open by an inch or two. Cover the cooler with blankets or towels so that little to no sunlight gets into the cooler.
To find out more information, text or call Rita at 1-250-287-6825. She says that texting works best on the island.
Emily, I love seared sea scallops!!It must be so fun to kayak into the bay to get them fresh!
Thank you for the tutorial!
xoxo
Karena
2013 Designer Series
What bounty and abundance! Looks delicious and like so much fun! Hope you are enjoying every minute of your adventures! XO