The Hunt is on for Diver Scallops

Charlie called the other day and asked if we would meet him for lunch at his favorite seafood spot on the water, which of course, we agreed to—as he knew we would. When we arrived we found him, and you're not going to believe this, sitting outside, in a wetsuit, drying his hair with a towel. Flippers, snorkel and mask were sitting on the roof of his truck and we actually had to take a double look to make sure this was our Charlie. As we walked up closer to him, we could tell he was busting at the seams to tell us about the latest culinary craze, Diver scallops! Charlie had just come from the boat of divers and couldn't wait to tell us the story of these succulent, sweet sea morsels. He left us to go grab his reserved table in the restaurant while he went to change out of his wet suit.

Traditionally, Charlie began; fishing vessels drop rake-like chains into the waters off the coast, to as deep as 900 feet, and dredge up the ocean floor to harvest scallops. Unfortunately, he says, this method harvests more than just scallops—It hurts the shellfish population.

Diver scallops, he explained, are just what the name implies, hand-picked by divers that select only the big ones and leave the smaller ones until they have a chance to grow. And, because they are hand picked, have less grit than the dragged ones. Divers simply jump into the water and swim down to the ocean floor and, one by one pick the biggest scallops. The divers carry a mesh scallop bag with them and once the bag is full, they signal the boat to lift the full bag and send down an empty bag.

We were speechless! Trying to picture Charlie; our big guy, in full diver gear, swimming along the ocean beds below, picking out the best scallops, was not just a bit amusing but down-right astonishing.

As you know, Charlie continued, scallops are sorted by their size. Sea scallops are available in U-10 (less than, under, 10 per pound) 10/20, 20/30, 30/40, and 40/50 per pound. The harvesting season runs from November 1 to April 15, "but as long as boats go out at least three miles from the shoreline, scallops can be harvested (dragged method) year round", says veteran scallop diver Tim Hunt from Deer Isle, Maine. He states that these scallops are sometimes gray in color and are often soaked in a preserving solution, which really damages them.

On today's menu, the term "Diver Scallops" would often refer to a U-10 sized scallop but not necessarily guarantee that the scallops are actually harvested by hand. There's no way of knowing!

Charlie warned us that "Menu" terms versus "Market" terms are sometimes misused. There is a code of ethics among the fishermen and seafood purveyors and they would never use the term "Diver Scallops" unless they were referring to scallops harvested by a diver. Restaurants don't necessarily abide by this code of ethics and often mislead customers with what they state on their menus.

Speaking of menus, what are some ways to prepare Diver Scallops, we asked Charlie—our new scuba expert. "There are many ways to prepare these delicate sea morsels," Charlie answered. The most popular way is to coat them end-to-end with your favorite spice blend and then sear them in a hot pan. They cook quickly so make sure that you don't over cook them or they will dry out, lose their juices and crack the spice coating. Because scallops are high in moisture content, it is easier to adhere a coating to them by adding cornstarch to the spice mixture. You can prepare them; skewered with shrimp or Cajun seared with wasabi cream or in a pesto sauce with linguini. Scallops are an excellent source of protein and did you know, have fewer calories than poultry.

Fresh from the sea, our succulent sea scallops, wrapped in bacon are sweet and juicy on the inside with crispy, honey-smoked cured bacon on the outside. These appetizers are a crowd pleaser and a must for your next party!

Easy Broiled Scallops

1 1/2 pound of dry sea scallops
1 stick of butter melted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat Broiler. Rinse and dry scallops. Roll them in the melted butter and place them close in a a shallow pan.Pour any remaining butter over them, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and broil for five minutes. Optional: Try placing a few slices of bacon on top-- add a couple more minutes, until bacon is crisp.

Or...just as delicious, rinse and cut the large scallops in half or thirds, then dip them in a slightly beaten egg, roll them in seasoned bread crumbs, and place in shallow bacon dish. Pour melted butter over them (turning, so they're coated), and broil for 5 minutes. Serve with wedges of lemon.