But I've been studying hard and expanding my repertoire. One of my favorite forms of seafood is scallops, which I have just learned to cook properly. Scallops offer a delicate, complex, ocean-y flavor. But when they are overcooked, you might as well be eating a plate of erasers. The first step in cooking any food is to understand just what it is you are cooking.
Scallops are mollusks.
There are four kinds of scallops available, depending on your location and your ability to pay for them. Bay scallops, caught between Massachusetts and Long Island, are the most expensive. They are considered to be the best scallops. They are available in winter, and are about the size of a pretzel nugget. Calico scallops are found in the Gulf of Mexico and the warmer waters of the Atlantic off Central and South America.