Scallop

Scallops are made up of attractive fan-shaped shells, which contain translucent, juicy meat, wrapped with a bright orange roe or coral. King scallops have one cupped shell of roughly 15cm wide, whilst queen scallops have two smaller shells at around 7cm wide. The membrane, grey-brown frill and black thread of intestine are all discarded.

If you are looking to buy scallops from the fishmonger make sure you look out for hand-dived scallops as they are far more sustainable. A superb starter with or without shells, scallop meat has a sweet, delicate flavour and texture, and requires very little cooking – the simpler the better. Best either steamed, pan-fried or grilled.

Adapted from Love Seafood

Stock Status
The health of scallop stocks varies across the UK. We recommend looking at the MCS Good Fish Guide for the latest information. Check that any Queen scallops you purchase are not below the minimum conservation size of 40mm or below 100mm for variegated scallops.

Nutritional Information
Scallops are high in Niacin, Selenium, Omega-3 fatty acids, Protein, Vitamin B12, and Phosphorus.