Tough Scallops. How to Tenderize?

[yougivemebaby]

I am staying in the Bang Saen (Nong Mon Market) area. I recently purchased some 'fresh' scallops from the market. They turned out to be very tough compared to the imported diver scallops that are (generally) 'imported ' from the US. The imported ones are very tender and easy to sear. Any ideas on how to prepare them to change the texture?

Thank you

[spiritrace]

I'd like to know also. I have tried a number of ways to tenderize them. Slow simmer for hours, slice thin, etc I hope someone has an answer to this question. Maybe it is one of those things we just have to accept.

[wayned]

Are they really scallops or pieces of abalone? If they are abalone the only way to tenderize them is pound the sh*t out of them.

[cooked]

You can try marinading them for 24 hours, only helps to a degree. Or after killing the cow you coulds hang the carcass in a freezer for at least two weeks, that's just one of the things that's wrong with Thai beef.

[ozzydom]

If they are "real scallops" ,they require very little cooking, the more you cook them the tougher they become.

Make sure they are thoroughly dried and sear them in a hot pan with butter,2 minutes per side until caramelised on each side.

If cooking as part of hot pot,curry,sushi etc, the scallops go in last and simmer for 4-5 minutes max.

Abalone is to expensive to be used as a substitute but a widespread scam used to be substituting skate and stingray wing punchings

[yougivemebaby]

Are they really scallops or pieces of abalone? If they are abalone the only way to tenderize them is pound the sh*t out of them.

If they are "real scallops" ,they require very little cooking, the more you cook them the tougher they become.

Make sure they are thoroughly dried and sear them in a hot pan with butter,2 minutes per side until caramelised on each side.

If cooking as part of hot pot,curry,sushi etc, the scallops go in last and simmer for 4-5 minutes max.

Abalone is to expensive to be used as a substitute but a widespread scam used to be substituting skate and stingray wing punchings

My guess is I got scammed. I didn't see the roe along with the scallops I would normally see. Unbelievable. I asked them several times what they were in Thai and they did say "cheo". I said hoy cheo? They said yes. They looked a little sketchy when they said it though. I think I'll just go buy some of the frozen ones at makro or big C and see if I can work with those ones. The large diver imported scallops are 1600-1890 per kilo. I thought I could try the Thai version.

Thanks for the heads up.

[wayned]

If they are "real scallops" ,they require very little cooking, the more you cook them the tougher they become.

Make sure they are thoroughly dried and sear them in a hot pan with butter,2 minutes per side until caramelised on each side.

If cooking as part of hot pot,curry,sushi etc, the scallops go in last and simmer for 4-5 minutes max.

Abalone is to expensive to be used as a substitute but a widespread scam used to be substituting skate and stingray wing punchings

Agree that abalone is a very expensive substitute but it was the first thing that I thought of. Skate and stingray wings are more likely, but can also be tenderized by beating the sh*t out of them. Not really, just pound with a flat mallet, don't pulverize, as you would giant squid.

Edited September 2, 2013 by wayned

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

You can try marinading them for 24 hours, only helps to a degree. Or after killing the cow you coulds hang the carcass in a freezer for at least two weeks, that's just one of the things that's wrong with Thai beef.

Shame we are not talking about beef, but rather seafood.

[AyG]

I said hoy cheo?

What is "hoy cheo"? I can't find anything remotely matching "cheo" in my dictionaries.

[cooked]

You can try marinading them for 24 hours, only helps to a degree. Or after killing the cow you coulds hang the carcass in a freezer for at least two weeks, that's just one of the things that's wrong with Thai beef.

Shame we are not talking about beef, but rather seafood.

Ah yes, sorry, slight linguistic problem there.

[yougivemebaby]

I said hoy cheo?

What is "hoy cheo"? I can't find anything remotely matching "cheo" in my dictionaries.

It's the Thai word for scallops. I looked in my dictionary and they say hawy-chayo

[wayned]

haawy sa gaaen laawp: from thai-language.com

[Naam]

You can try marinading them for 24 hours, only helps to a degree. Or after killing the cow you coulds hang the carcass in a freezer for at least two weeks, that's just one of the things that's wrong with Thai beef.

scallops are not derived from a killed cow but from grain fed saltwater crocodiles

Edited September 2, 2013 by Naam

[ozzydom]

If they are "real scallops" ,they require very little cooking, the more you cook them the tougher they become.

Make sure they are thoroughly dried and sear them in a hot pan with butter,2 minutes per side until caramelised on each side.

If cooking as part of hot pot,curry,sushi etc, the scallops go in last and simmer for 4-5 minutes max.

Abalone is to expensive to be used as a substitute but a widespread scam used to be substituting skate and stingray wing punchings

Agree that abalone is a very expensive substitute but it was the first thing that I thought of. Skate and stingray wings are more likely, but can also be tenderized by beating the sh*t out of them. Not really, just pound with a flat mallet, don't pulverize, as you would giant squid.

Actually there is nothing wrong with skate,they make excellent fish bites ,they have a unique texture and flavour for seafood.

I once had an apprentice chef spend his annual holidays on my lobster/scallop boat, the crew were sorry to see his holiday end,specially when it meant they were back to eating my offerings.

[cooked]

You can try marinading them for 24 hours, only helps to a degree. Or after killing the cow you coulds hang the carcass in a freezer for at least two weeks, that's just one of the things that's wrong with Thai beef.

scallops are not derived from a killed cow but from grain fed saltwater crocodiles

Ok, ok! I ate 'escalope de veau' many times in Switzerland, meaning veal cutlet. That's why I screwed up.

[wayned]

If they are "real scallops" ,they require very little cooking, the more you cook them the tougher they become.

Make sure they are thoroughly dried and sear them in a hot pan with butter,2 minutes per side until caramelised on each side.

If cooking as part of hot pot,curry,sushi etc, the scallops go in last and simmer for 4-5 minutes max.

Abalone is to expensive to be used as a substitute but a widespread scam used to be substituting skate and stingray wing punchings

Agree that abalone is a very expensive substitute but it was the first thing that I thought of. Skate and stingray wings are more likely, but can also be tenderized by beating the sh*t out of them. Not really, just pound with a flat mallet, don't pulverize, as you would giant squid.

Actually there is nothing wrong with skate,they make excellent fish bites ,they have a unique texture and flavour for seafood.

I once had an apprentice chef spend his annual holidays on my lobster/scallop boat, the crew were sorry to see his holiday end,specially when it meant they were back to eating my offerings.

Never said that there was anything wrong with skate or sting ray, if cooked properly it's delicious. Just beware of the tail if it's still alive. It's just a little more labor intensive to prepare, but if you treat the wings similar to how you fix giant squid you'll be surprised at the flavor. The "trash fish" of the sea offer a unique opportunity to test your cooking skills. Just look at the "monkfish", it used to be the "trashiest" fish around and now it's delicious if cooked right and one of the most expensive available, shark is also wonderful.

I used to get all kinds of weird specimons from my friend who had a fleet of shrimp boats in the gulf of Mexico. Never wrote anything off until I tried at least once, and there were some unbelievable failures, but also some incredible successes.

[yougivemebaby]

If they are "real scallops" ,they require very little cooking, the more you cook them the tougher they become.

Make sure they are thoroughly dried and sear them in a hot pan with butter,2 minutes per side until caramelised on each side.

If cooking as part of hot pot,curry,sushi etc, the scallops go in last and simmer for 4-5 minutes max.

Abalone is to expensive to be used as a substitute but a widespread scam used to be substituting skate and stingray wing punchings

Agree that abalone is a very expensive substitute but it was the first thing that I thought of. Skate and stingray wings are more likely, but can also be tenderized by beating the sh*t out of them. Not really, just pound with a flat mallet, don't pulverize, as you would giant squid.

Actually there is nothing wrong with skate,they make excellent fish bites ,they have a unique texture and flavour for seafood.

I once had an apprentice chef spend his annual holidays on my lobster/scallop boat, the crew were sorry to see his holiday end,specially when it meant they were back to eating my offerings.

Never said that there was anything wrong with skate or sting ray, if cooked properly it's delicious. Just beware of the tail if it's still alive. It's just a little more labor intensive to prepare, but if you treat the wings similar to how you fix giant squid you'll be surprised at the flavor. The "trash fish" of the sea offer a unique opportunity to test your cooking skills. Just look at the "monkfish", it used to be the "trashiest" fish around and now it's delicious if cooked right and one of the most expensive available, shark is also wonderful.

I used to get all kinds of weird specimons from my friend who had a fleet of shrimp boats in the gulf of Mexico. Never wrote anything off until I tried at least once, and there were some unbelievable failures, but also some incredible successes.

I frequently see sting rays here. I would like to try! Do you have any good recipes you'd like to share? I have a pressure cooker so I'm guessing it may come in handy. I also wondered what would happen if I threw the scallops in there for a couple of minutes. I like adventures. I'll give it a shot.

[Bpuumike]

Am thinking out loud here.

Papaya is a tenderizer, generally the main constituent of most of the bottled tenderizers you find on the spice rack shelves.

So... and I've no idea, marinate in the fridge with chopped or sliced papaya on top?

I'd normally say add lime juice and garlic too but lime juice seems to 'cook' seafood so could make your scallops tougher?

[Bpuumike]

You can try marinading them for 24 hours, only helps to a degree. Or after killing the cow you coulds hang the carcass in a freezer for at least two weeks, that's just one of the things that's wrong with Thai beef.

scallops are not derived from a killed cow but from grain fed saltwater crocodiles

Ok, ok! I ate 'escalope de veau' many times in Switzerland, meaning veal cutlet. That's why I screwed up.

I was beginning to wonder...

[Naam]

You can try marinading them for 24 hours, only helps to a degree. Or after killing the cow you coulds hang the carcass in a freezer for at least two weeks, that's just one of the things that's wrong with Thai beef.

scallops are not derived from a killed cow but from grain fed saltwater crocodiles

Ok, ok! I ate 'escalope de veau' many times in Switzerland, meaning veal cutlet. That's why I screwed up.

you are excused Sir. the jury found you not guilty as charged.

"Bayliff! remove the handcuffs from Mr Cooked."

[Pdaz]

I buy live scallops at Naklua market on a regular basis. The local scallops are much smaller than the imported ones. However they have a great flavour and for around 180 baht a Kg great value.

It takes a while to clean 2-3kg of scallops. I leave them on the half shell and just drop them on the barbeque with a little garlic butter. They only take a few seconds to cook. You can tell they are ready as the flesh becomes white. Overcooking scallops is the number one reason for them becoming tough.

[Bpuumike]

I buy live scallops at Naklua market on a regular basis. The local scallops are much smaller than the imported ones. However they have a great flavour and for around 180 baht a Kg great value.

It takes a while to clean 2-3kg of scallops. I leave them on the half shell and just drop them on the barbeque with a little garlic butter. They only take a few seconds to cook. You can tell they are ready as the flesh becomes white. Overcooking scallops is the number one reason for them becoming tough.

That's my way to go, Mmmm...

[yougivemebaby]

I buy live scallops at Naklua market on a regular basis. The local scallops are much smaller than the imported ones. However they have a great flavour and for around 180 baht a Kg great value.

It takes a while to clean 2-3kg of scallops. I leave them on the half shell and just drop them on the barbeque with a little garlic butter. They only take a few seconds to cook. You can tell they are ready as the flesh becomes white. Overcooking scallops is the number one reason for them becoming tough.

I hadn't cooked them yet. They were already very firm. Like a well done steak.

[yougivemebaby]

I went to Ang Sila market, about 10 minutes away. Found some of the scallops with roe. (300 baht per kilo cleaned). Cleaned them up a bit. Dried them with a paper towel. Salt and cracked pepper on both sides. Put some coconut oil in a blazing hot pan. Seared them for about 20 seconds. They were DELICIOUS! A much cheaper and easier method to getting my scallop fix. I can't wait to start using these again. Clearly the other ones were a scam. The Thai scallops I found to be nice and soft compared to whatever the hell they sold at nong mon market. Frustrating dealing with these people sometimes. (These people I refer not to Thais but to hustlers EVERYWHERE)

[Bpuumike]

You can try marinading them for 24 hours, only helps to a degree. Or after killing the cow you coulds hang the carcass in a freezer for at least two weeks, that's just one of the things that's wrong with Thai beef.

scallops are not derived from a killed cow but from grain fed saltwater crocodiles

Ok, ok! I ate 'escalope de veau' many times in Switzerland, meaning veal cutlet. That's why I screwed up.

you are excused Sir. the jury found you not guilty as charged.

"Bayliff! remove the handcuffs from Mr Cooked."

[/

Was,about to reply, and off topic, very much concerning sourcing of Port in BKK. My little remaining sense kicked in.

Morgen's, Prueng yee, Selamat Pagi, usw, dll, etc.

Excuse me, it's that time of night.

Tchuss