Do You Need To Clean Scallops Before Cooking Them?

Scallops, when cooked properly, are one of the most tender types of seafood. These mollusks are often grilled in a pan to form a golden crust, then served in a simple sauce, such as butter or white wine sauce. Scallops can also be fried or baked, but to bring out their best flavor and appearance, a quick sear is all you need.

Preparing seafood can be a bit daunting if it's a food group you're not familiar with. Because it's raw, you should follow standard safety practices for preparing raw food, including washing your hands and avoiding cross-contamination. Although mastering the cooking method for scallops can take some time, one thing that sets them apart from other types of seafood is that they are often already removed from their shells when you buy them. This means there's no need to clean them; you can skip that step and get right to cooking.

If you're someone who doesn't want to take the time to clean their shellfish before eating it, we don't blame you — and we also suggest you choose scallops over other types of shellfish. Unlike mussels and clams, scallops have usually been shucked (the process of removing the shell) by the time they make it to the window of your local grocery store or seafood market, which means there is no dirt or sand left to clean.

That said, there is one pesky thing you'll need to do prior to cooking scallops: Remove the small muscle on the side. When looking at each scallop, you should see a small piece, the same color as the meat, that sticks out a bit. Pull on this, and it should come right off. This is the muscle that attaches to the shell, and it's tough, so you don't want to eat it. From there, you can proceed to cook your scallops.

Even a simple seared scallops recipe can be finicky. Scallops cook quickly, and keeping them on the heat for even a few seconds more or less than they need can render them over- or under-cooked. To cook them properly, you'll want to sear them on the stovetop in a pan or cast-iron skillet and keep a close eye on them while they heat through.

For the proper sear, add oil to a pan, along with optional butter, and let it preheat on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes before placing your scallops into the pan. Make sure to pat the scallops dry (this will help them get the best sear) and season them with salt before cooking. From there, place the scallops into the preheated oil and butter; you should hear the scallops starting to sear. 

Thick scallops take no more than two minutes per side to cook on medium-high heat; flip them when they have a golden crust on their underside. Exact oil and butter measurements, plus the cook time, will depend on the thickness of the scallops and how many you're cooking.