cyber**** wrote:

> The "sea scallops" I have had in restaurants and at dinner parties are
> flabby like that. I hate it. Bay scallops, the smaller ones, are chewier,
> not so much like shrimp, but not like lightly warmed blubber. *ugh*
>
> I now order bay scallops only. If there is a way to cook sea scallops so
> that they are less liquidy-gelid and more firm, I would love to hear about
> it. I might buy them again. As is is, they are usually $10 a pound, and
> bay scallops $5 a pound. No contest.

("Gelid" doesn't mean what you think it means, you pseudointellectual
poser.)

The main properties to look for with scallops are that they have not been
soaked in a phosphate solution to preserve them and that they are impeccably
fresh. Buying your scallops at Wal*Mart is a sure path to disappointment.

Different-sized scallops require different techniques. Larger scallops can
be seared on both sides to good effect. Doing so partially cooks the inside
and establishes the Maillard-reaction crust on the outside. If additional
cooking is needed, the cook can simply lower the heat in the pan and cook
the scallop through or put the pan into the oven after the sear is
accomplished to cook the scallop through. Broiling and grilling are also
easy and reliable ways to cook large scallops.

If none of that works for you for some reason, you can always cut up the
scallops and put them into a long-cooked Szechuan-style broth. I've got a
recipe for a Chinese soup containing squid rings and scallops which are
simmered together in a spicy broth until the squid rings balloon into little
tire-shapes and the scallops completely fall apart into little threads.

Bob