Scallop shell is associated with the feminine and water, from which all life came out. The ancient Roman goddess Venus (she is the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite), according to legend, was born from the foam of the sea and came out of the sea in the shell of scallop. The shell of this mollusk is also a symbol of the Apostle James (in France – Jacques), who made a pilgrimage to Spain. From the shells of this mollusk make a lot of various women’s jewelry and interior items.
But scallops are not only a symbol of fertility and femininity, but also a valuable seafood specialty. Scallops were eaten in antiquity. In the Middle Ages, they were eaten during long posts. In modern French cuisine, this delicacy is present in many dishes.
What’s this
Scallops are bivalve mollusks that live in all oceans and many seas. They have shells with shutters of unequal shape and size. With the growth of the mollusk, their shells also grow: additional fins are added on their surface or they split into existing ones.
These are bottom inhabitants. Burrowing in the sand, they filter the water, catching plankton and small crustaceans from it. In one hour, a small scallop (up to 4 cm in diameter) is able to let through up to 3 liters of water.
Scallop is very mobile. Quickly opening and shutting the shell doors, the mollusc moves in sporadic movements along the bottom, running away from its main enemy, the starfish, or rising from the bottom into the water column.
Inside the shell there is a closure muscle (the actual shellfish meat) and a coral – a caviar sac. Along the edge of the mantle of the shell, the mollusk has tentacles – organs of touch and about a hundred small eyes that can grow back after being lost.
Several scallops are of commercial importance: Japanese (the largest), Scottish, Icelandic, Primorye, Black Sea, and Chilean reds. Commercially, these mollusks are caught in the Northern, Norwegian, Japanese and other northern seas. Every year, the world produces up to 12 million tons of these delicatessen products.
Chemical composition
3/4 scallop meat consists of water. It is not only an exquisite delicacy, but also a source of easily digestible protein and minerals. The meat of this clam contains:
The clam protein is complete. This means that it contains essential amino acids that a person needs to build his own protein molecules, but they are not synthesized in the human body. Eight amino acids are essential for the adult human body, and two more for the baby – arginine and histidine.
Essential Amino Acids
Name
Content in 100 g, grams
ะัะณะธะฝะธะฝ
0,65-0,7
ะะฐะปะธะฝ
0,38
ะะธััะธะดะธะฝ
0,18-0,2
ะะทะพะปะตะนัะธะฝ
0,41
ะะตะนัะธะฝ
0,72
ะะธะทะธะฝ
0,74
ะะตัะธะพะฝะธะฝ
0,29
ะขัะตะพะฝะธะฝ
0,37
ะขัะธะฟัะพัะฐะฝ
0,1
ะคะตะฝะธะปะฐะปะฐะฝะธะฝ
0,35
The composition of scallop fats includes both saturated fatty acids and unsaturated ones, including omega-3 and omega-6. The presence of omega acids compensates for the rather high cholesterol content in these mollusks, binding it in the blood and preventing its deposition in the vascular walls.
There are few carbohydrates in scallops, so its meat can be considered a product for diabetics. Scallop glycemic index – 0.
Scallop meat is a source of necessary minerals for the normal functioning of the human body. According to the content of iodine, these mollusks are the leaders among seafood.
Scallop Meat Minerals
Name
Content in 100 g, milligrams
ะะฐััะธะน
392,0
ะคะพััะพั
334,0
ะะฐะปะธะน
205,0
ะกะตัะฐ
175,0
ะฅะปะพั
165,0
ะะฐะณะฝะธะน
22,0
ะะฐะปััะธะน
6,0
ะฆะธะฝะบ
0,91
ะะตะปะตะทะพ
0,38
ะะพะด
0,18-0,19
ะะตะดั
0,023
ะะฐัะณะฐะฝะตั
0,017
ะกะตะปะตะฝ
0,013
These mollusks do not lag behind in the number of vitamins in them. They contain in large quantities vitamins A, E and group B.
Vitamin composition
Name
Content in 100 g pulp, milligrams
Vitamin A (retinol) 0,001 Vitamin B1 (thiamine) 0,007 Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 0,015 Vitamin B4 (choline) 65,0 Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) 0,215 Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 0,073 Vitamin B9 (folic acid) 0,016 Vitamins ) 12 Vitamin PP (nicotinic acid) 0,0014 Vitamin E (tocopherol) 0,703-0,8
The calorie content of scallops is low and ranges from 88 to 92 kcal per 100 g of mollusk (depending on its type).
Healing properties
Amino-acid, fat and vitamin-mineral composition of scallops determines its healing effect on the organs and tissues of the human body. The meat of these mollusks with its frequent use in food:
- has anti-atherosclerotic effect;
- increases the elasticity of the vascular walls;
- helps to reduce blood pressure;
- shows anti-ischemic action;
- normalizes the endocrine and immune systems in the body;
- improves microcirculation in tissues;
- increases the vitality of the body;
- increases stress resistance;
- has a general effect;
- promotes the production of sex hormones.
In addition, the meat of this mollusk has a beneficial effect on the metabolism in the human body:
- saturates the blood and colloid of the thyroid gland with organic iodine;
- normalizes the level of glucose in the blood;
- improves calcium-phosphorus metabolism in the body;
- reduces the amount of cholesterol in the blood;
- positive effect on fat metabolism;
- improves the condition of the skin and its appendages.
Low calorie in the full composition of the meat of these mollusks is used in dietetics. Regular use of this product has a positive effect on the body losing weight during their stay on a diet.
Athletes are advised to consume scallops before competition, because they contain a lot of healthy protein, which contains all the essential amino acids.
The high content of vitamin E in the scallop meat has some antitumor effect.
Therapeutic use
Scallops improve the health of people suffering from various pathologies, therefore, recommended for use with:
- atherosclerosis;
- arterial hypertension;
- ischemic heart disease;
- sensitivity disorders;
- disorders of cerebral circulation;
- diabetes mellitus;
- hypothyroidism of the thyroid gland;
- rheumatism;
- osteoporosis and osteomalacia;
- obesity.
A feature of these mollusks is that with a sufficiently high protein content in their meat, they do not increase the amount of purine bases in the blood, so they can be eaten even by people suffering from urolithiasis and gout.
These mollusks are recommended to include in the menu:
- after a long illness;
- in old and old age;
- weakened;
- pregnant women;
- losing weight;
- children older than 7 years.
In depressive states and frequent stressful situations, the scallop meat minerals have antidepressant and analeptic (mood enhancing) effects.
Harmful properties
For all its usefulness, scallops can be fraught with danger in certain diseases and conditions.
In hyperthyroidism, the iodine contained in the product causes an increase in thyroid hormone production, which can lead to a thyrotoxic crisis.
Individual intolerance to the meat of these mollusks is a contraindication to their use, because it can cause severe allergic reactions in humans, even anaphylactic shock.
Do not eat scallops for people who have elevated levels of calcium and phosphorus in their blood.
Like all other seafood, scallops can store mercury in their meat. The mercury content in their meat is much lower than, for example, in the meat of octopus, squid, crab or predatory sea fish, but it is there. According to the recommendations of Canadian doctors who studied the problem of methylmercury content in meat of crustaceans, mollusks and fish of the seas and oceans, eating scallops more often 2-3 times a week is undesirable. In this case, one serving should not weigh more than 150 g.
How to choose
Scallops are a very perishable product, so they are rarely found chilled in the stores of countries located far from the place of catch of these mollusks.
More often in stores, quick-frozen scallops with shells or pre-peeled from them are sold. When buying frozen food, mollusks should be preferred in purified form and packaged under vacuum. When cleaning the scallops, the intestines are removed along with the shells, which reduces the likelihood of damage to the product. Buying mollusks by weight is not a very good option, as they quickly lose moisture, becoming dry and poorly edible.
The advantages of vacuum packing of scallops are:
- the presence of the original manufacturer’s label with the current date of manufacture;
- preservation of the original appearance and juiciness of the product;
- lack of air space (prevents product damage);
- the minimum layer of ice glaze on the product (the amount of balanced moisture in the product does not increase);
- protection from foreign odors;
- long shelf life.
Frozen mollusks are stored in vacuum packaging at temperatures ranging from-12 ยฐ ะก to -18 ยฐ ะก to 6 months, while quick-frozen clams without vacuum packaging can be stored under the same conditions for no more than 3 months.
Use in cooking
These mollusks are cooked very quickly. If they digest or overcook, they become rubber. To preserve all the softness and juiciness of frozen scallops, they need to be thawed in the refrigerator. If you defrost the mollusks in hot water or under the influence of microwaves, you can permanently lose the softness and juiciness of their meat.
Only the locking muscle of the mollusk and its caviar sack – coral are used as food. On the basis of coral most often cooked sauces for watering scallops meat.
These mollusks are eaten in a different form:
- raw
- pickled;
- boiled;
- fried;
- baked;
- stewed.
From them prepare the first and second dishes, add to salads and snacks.
Taste scallops emphasize:
Scallops are very popular in French cuisine. Of them are prepared as dishes for daily use, as well as delicious delicacies.
Grilled Scallops
To prepare this dish, you will need shellfish meat, refined olive oil, salt and white pepper to taste, and lemon. After thawing, the scallops need to be dried, a little salt and pepper. For frying, the frying pan and the oil on it should be very hot in order to “seal” the proteins of the meat with the high temperature. It is necessary to fry the clams for 1-2 minutes on each side until a golden crust appears. Do not fry any longer, otherwise the meat will become rubbery. Drizzle with lemon juice to taste before use.
Chowder Scallop Cream Soup
To prepare the cream soup, you need to take: 600 ml of chicken broth, roots (carrots, celery), 1 pc., 3 medium potatoes, 1 onion, 500 g of champignons, 200 ml of cream, 2 tbsp of butter, dried herbs , chicken yolk, 0,5 cups of white wine, salt and spices to taste. In a broth over medium heat, boil vegetables with herbs for 10-15 minutes, cool slightly and grind with a blender to a homogeneous mass. Stew sliced โโmushrooms, stew for a couple of minutes, along with scallops in hot butter. At the end, add wine and vegetable puree, simmer over the smallest fire for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly. Beat the yolk and cream and add to the soup. Gourmet soup is ready!
Conclusion
Scallops are a delicious seafood delicacy. In addition to taste, they are very useful, therefore, recommended for use in many diseases, even diabetes and gout. Low calorie, high value of the protein of the mollusk, a large amount of vitamins and minerals make it an excellent dietary product.
However, do not lean on scallops. Mollusk meat contains methylmercury, which is able to accumulate in the human body, therefore it is impossible to eat it more than three times a week.
In order to prepare a delicious and exquisite dish, one should learn how to choose and defrost the product correctly, so as not to deprive the scallops of their juiciness and benefit. Scallops are a perishable product, so any violation of the terms and conditions for their storage and thawing can lead to food poisoning.
In order for a dish of scallops to bring pleasure to the taste, when cooking it you need to remember that they are very delicate. It is necessary to devote a minimal amount of time to heat treatment of the mollusk, because its meat can be eaten even raw. So that the scallop meat does not become rubber, you need to cook it in minutes.
Sources of
- Atlas of bivalve mollusks of the Far Eastern seas of Russia / comp. Yavnov S.V; scientific. ed. S.E. Pozdnyakov -Vladivostok: “Dumas”, 2000.-168 p.
- Skalkin V.A .: Biology and fishing of the scallop. – Vladivostok: Far East. book publishing house, 1966.
