Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> I don't find fault with any of that when it comes to cooking scallops of
> normal size, but the OP specified that she's cooking LARGE scallops.
> Deep-frying won't work well, nor will grilling. In fact, ANY high-heat
> method is doomed to failure when you're dealing with large scallops, because
> the heat doesn't penetrate to the interior until the exterior is overcooked.
> The way to cook large scallops is to gently poach them. If you set the
> temperature of the poaching liquid to the final temperature you want the
> scallops to be (an electric skillet works well for this, and the final
> temperature should be about 140°F), then they can't possibly exceed that
> temperature and overcook. The poaching liquid can be anything that
> complements to mild flavors of the scallops; I like a mixture of seafood
> stock, lemon, onion slices, and soy sauce.

I can't agree that high heat cooking won't work well. It depends
on who you talk to. Some people like, or at least don't mind, the
tougher texture created on the surface when you sear or deep fry
sea scallops. I know a lot of people who really like them cooked
that way.

Personally, I prefer them smoked gently at a gentle 180 F.
They come out with the a nice, soft texture like you get when
poaching.

--
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