Very low in lipids, scallops represent an excellent source of lean protein, therefore a rather healthy choice for New Year’s Eve. Provided of course that you don’t drown them in a white butter sauce. Choose an orange sauce with 0% fat.
While the end-of-year holidays are in full swing, Top Santé shares with you a guide to 60 million consumers to help you choose your scallops. The key would be to favor those coming from the Normandy and Breton coasts and to avoid those which are waterlogged.
“Real scallops are caught on the Normandy and Breton coasts”
“The real scallop (Pecten maximus) is fished mainly on the Normandy and Breton coasts. But on the shelves, other scallops (Placopecten, Argopecten, Chlamys) caught all over the world are offered under the same name. Only the packaging is authentic: it must mention the scientific name of the species and the country of origin.“, assures 60 million consumers.
“Three references of frozen scallops out of twelve are waterlogged”
Another criterion to take into account: inflation with water. “Banned in France, this process is not so rare: our analyzes carried out in 2019 showed that three out of twelve frozen scallops were soaked, therefore illegal. Better to buy them fresh and as soon as possible, before prices skyrocket“, alerts the consumer association.
Once washed well, freeze them flat on parchment paper, separated from each other.
Be careful, the scallops need to be cooked precisely. If they stay in the pan too long, they become elastic. So we throw them in a very hot pan and cook them for 1 minute on each side, no more…
What alternative without breaking the bank?
You can fall back on a few walnuts cut into cubes and prepared into ceviche, then placed on a watercress velouté with a poached egg, as suggested by chef Grégory Coutanceau.
Source: www.topsante.com
