Like I mentioned in my post about our recent Scalloping Trip, we had quite a bit of scallop meat and wanted to prepare them a few different ways. The recipes below show how I prepared our Florida Bay Scallops but I'm sure you could use the same recipes for the larger ocean scallops.
Baked Scallops
When we made baked scallops, we simply placed them all in a shallow pan lined with tin-foil, added some slices of butter to the pan and sprinkled them with garlic salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-10 minutes or until the scallops are a bright white color and a nice firm texture. If you overcook them they will get kind of rubbery so take them out earlier rather than later.
Sauted Garlic & Rosemary Scallops
For our sauteed scallops, I heated a little bit of Olive Oil in a pan over medium heat until the pan and oil were hot. Chop up some garlic cloves (I only used one clove but you can vary it based on how many scallops you are cooking) and some fresh rosemary. I'm not sure exactly how much rosemary we had, maybe around a tablespoon. I snapped a 4 - 5" long sprig off the bush and chopped/cut up the leaves. Once the pan and oil are hot, saute the garlic and rosemary for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add scallops and cook for 3 - 5 minutes or until the scallops are a bright white color and have a nice firm texture.
Scallop Alfredo
We also made a homemade alfredo sauce for some Scallop Alfredo! Simply place a small pot on the stovetop on medium-low heat and put in 1/2 stick (4 tbsp) of butter. Once all the butter is melted, add 1.5 cups heavy cream and 6oz shredded Parmesan cheese. Keep the heat on low and continue to stir frequently until all the parmesan cheese is melted in and the sauce is thick and smooth (this can take 20 - 25mins, just be patient). Once the sauce is done or nearly done, toss in the scallops and continue to heat for 3 - 4 minutes or until the scallops are cooked through. That amount of sauce should feed around 6 people (we doubled it for 12 people and it all got eaten up).
Serve any or all of the above three recipes over spaghetti or linguine noodles. Add a salad or some sauteed squash and you've got an awesome seafood dinner!
Seafood Gumbo
After we got back from the scalloping trip, we still had SOO many scallops left so I decided to make a pot of Sunday Gumbo (from Taste of Home, click link to see recipe). Ryan really wanted gumbo instead of all those recipes we made above, LOL so I think he was pretty happy when I made this!
Seafood Gumbo
After we got back from the scalloping trip, we still had SOO many scallops left so I decided to make a pot of Sunday Gumbo (from Taste of Home, click link to see recipe). Ryan really wanted gumbo instead of all those recipes we made above, LOL so I think he was pretty happy when I made this!
This isn't a traditional gumbo but it's quick and really delicious! This recipe serves 6 people (again, we doubled it for 12). It's a tiny bit spicy and you can feel free to add or modify this recipe however you choose. The only things I changed was that I used Spicy Italian Sausage, we used shrimp caught fresh from the river when the guys were shrimping, I used scallops instead of chicken and I omitted the ocra. It was kind of a last minute get together with about 12 of us eating dinner at our place but it was really fun and a great way to use up some scallops.
Even after all those recipes and feeding all those people, we still had 2 pounds of scallop meat left so finally I just divided it up into four containers and split them up among the couples. Next year I'll definitely have to look up some creative scallop recipes ahead of time to bring with us on our trip!
Even after all those recipes and feeding all those people, we still had 2 pounds of scallop meat left so finally I just divided it up into four containers and split them up among the couples. Next year I'll definitely have to look up some creative scallop recipes ahead of time to bring with us on our trip!
