Have you ever heard of or experienced the Japanese sushi culture, where they use raw seafood as the main ingredient? Out of the sea foods used for sushi, scallops are a favorite among most because of their unique and outstanding taste. If this topic is totally strange to you, you may end up with the question, can you eat raw scallops.
We are here to give you absolute clarification. Who knows if you will end up being a raw scallop fan at the end of all!
It is a famous saying among fishermen that if you want to experience the real taste of scallops, they must be eaten right after being taken out from the sea without any seasoning.
Then only you could taste the sweet texture of scallops meat. Some add olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper when eating raw scallops.
Raw scallops are a rich source of protein, antioxidants, and vitamin B12. As these contain less amount of fat and carbohydrate, scallops become the healthiest seafood you can have when you are on a low carbs diet.
But even with all these consequences, can you eat raw scallops do not get a direct yes because it is only suitable to eat garden-fresh scallops without cooking. The packets you find in supermarkets are absolutely not ideal for a raw meal. That is the first thing to remember when we come across this culture.
Can You Eat Raw Scallops?
Not all the shells you bought have meat to be eaten raw. When you take live scallops home, there may be some that are out of the edible line. Simply, if the scallop is not moving even slowly, it is not consumable. Take one and give it a tap; a live scallop must open or close the two shells.
When buying, remember that cracked ones are not palatable. Fresh scallops give a seaweed aroma. If they smell fishy, then avoid purchasing those. Eating such will make you get food poisoning or stomach pains.
If you want to buy fresh scallops, you must go for a day boat on the shore. Some boats take about 14 days in the sea harvest. This will make the ones that are collected on the starting days not suitable for a raw dish.
When the scallops are stored in ice until the boat comes finishing the turn, some may enlarge due to absorption of water. Fresh scallops are dry in texture as that beef.
Sodium tripolyphosphate is a preservative that uses in this industry. When scallops are immersed in this ingredient, they become larger in size, absorbing more water. When you buy those and try eating a mouth-watering raw dish that you saw, you will end up throwing it all in the bin.
Another way of finding fresh pickups is the color of those. White, beige, and light orange are the commonly seen colors. When the flesh is brownish, we can assume that it is no more fresh to be eaten in a raw meal. But still, we can make a delicious, cooked dish from them.
The frozen scallops get a big NO in raw eats. Do buy a pack from a reliable brand if you are going to try on frozen items without thinking about the price. These are best in stir-fried dishes or soups.
How To Clean Scallops Before Consuming?
Scallops are easy to clean. Rinse the shells in running water to remove sand if there is any. Then pat dry all of those. Search for the unremoved side muscles and remove if there are any remaining, as those are hard to eat.
How to Eat Raw Scallops?
Here are two popular methods to eat scallops in raw form.
Sea scallop carpaccio
This first-course dish is with raw scallops and a dressing. You have to immerse sliced shallots in red wine vinegar with a pinch of salt for about 30 minutes. Slice the scallops into thin pieces. Place on a plate and add cherry tomatoes, salt, pepperoncino, some capers, and shallots immersed in vinegar.
Scallop tartare
Chop scallops into fine slices. Immerse in a mixture of soy sauce, onion, sugar, olive oil, yuzu juice, and salt. Place them on a plate. Make a mixture of mayonnaise and capsicum annuum with a tablespoon of previous liquid and pour over the scallops.
There are so many other dishes, such as sushi, scallop Crudo, etc., that a raw scallop lover must try. The mandatory fact when in having these meals is to consume them just after the preparations.
How to Store Fresh Scallops?
If you were not able to eat fresh scallops right after the purchase, you need to keep them in the refrigerator. But do not exceed two days in the fridge. Take measures to cover it with a slightly wet paper towel or a cloth. Be sure that the temperature is no more than 38°F,
In order to maintain that much coldness, you can place the scallops in a bowl and place the bowl over ice. Keep the container near the coldest place in the refrigerator.
When it comes to frozen scallops, those can be kept for about three months when kept away from the door. Remember to thaw one night before preparing a meal from these. Thawing must not be done at room temperature. Please keep it in the lower part of the fridge.
Final thought
The answer to the question, can you eat raw scallops depends on the freshness of the scallops you buy. If you are a first-time user, avoid having days-old scallops as raw flesh because it will give you an awful first-hand experience.
If you show allergic reactions to seafood like mussels and oysters, avoid eating scallops too. Always buy scallops from a genuine seller because scallops that are harvested from polluted areas and algae-grown areas will cause diarrhea and stomach aches.
You can follow the guidelines we have described here when choosing fresh scallops that are suitable to eat in delicious sushi.
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