 he
salt ponds and marshes of the eastern seaboard fill
an important niche in the ecological scheme of the Atlantic.
Plankton and algae bloom here in great concentrations,
this attracts the filter feeders such as bay scallops,
clams, shrimp and baitfish; which in turn attracts larger
fish and waterfowl that use the salt ponds for a nursery.
The abundant eelgrass that grows in these saltwater
marshes provide the ideal habitat for the bay scallop.
Amongst the eelgrass the bay scallop is able to find
protection from predators as well as plenty of food
to filter from the rich waters.
During bay scallop season it is common to see baymen
fishing from dorys with long-handled scoop nets. A
certain skill is required to anticipate the skittering
attempts at flight of the disturbed bay scallop. The
results of the chase can be quite comical if viewed
from the solid footing of shore. Many a neophyte has
gone over the side trying to reach that last escaping
scallop.
The shell of the Bay scallop is about three inches
across and ranges from almost black to a light purple
in color. The large abductor mussel, which propels
the scallop through the water by opening and closing
the shell, is the part of the scallop eaten. After
being shucked from the shell these little nuggets
of flavor average between eighty and one hundred per
pound.
Fresh bay scallops have an ocean fresh smell and a
very sweet, nutty flavor. The color of the meat is
uniform, ranging from creamy white to coral, depending
on the scallops diet at the time of harvest.
Price and availability vary greatly from year to
year. The bay scallop is short-lived and very fecund
which creates great crops some years. Yet they are
sensitive to ocean conditions, thus, years of overly
warm water or poor upwelling of nutrients will greatly
reduce the success rate and recruitment of young bay
scallops, creating terrible years.
The bay scallop takes well to any method of preparation,
pan frying, deep-frying, baking, broiling or seviche
all produce fine results. Try to keep preparations
simple, highlight the sweet nutlike flavor of the
scallop rather than overwhelm them with too many ingredients.
The small size of the Bay scallop must be taken into
account when cooking, figure a total cooking time
of only 2-3 minutes, so recipes for the larger sea
scallops must be adjusted accordingly.
Cautions:
Sustainable: Varies from year to year and area.
Recipes: (Check back soon)
|
.gif){kind=spacer}
