cooking with scallops (and duck fat)

a top 10 list, i should do this more often. especially when it includes duck fat and a cast iron skillet.

1. i love duck fat.

2. i have a love hate relationship with scallops. we can save that story for another day.

3. if you mix duck fat and scallops together, well, yeah. really, must i go on?

4. go buy scallops.

5. you can buy duck fat at whole foods. just saying.

6. i love my cast iron skillet.

7. you can melt duck fat in your cast iron skillet and then sear your scallops.

8. if you use duck fat in your cast iron skillet, it seasons it. which, well, it’s just another excuse to hoard duck fat.

9. i love cooking with duck fat.

10. go buy scallops (and duck fat), did i mention that already?

seared scallops in duck fat

just a little note: when you buy scallops make sure they are fresh (not frozen). they should be a beautiful shade of pearly white. firm and don’t smell funky. sometimes i ask to smell fish at the counter, which may seem weird, but the last thing i want to take home is foul smelling not so fresh fish.

when i get home i clean them. cleaning scallops are very easy. run them under water and rinse. if you find a small tag like thing hanging off the scallop that is the muscle. you don’t want to eat that. take it off. dry them carefully, and then cook.

to cook:

1. heat up your skillet. whether you are using duck fat or just plain oil (or butter, or bacon fat), you just want to add a touch, enough to coat the bottom of the pan, you don’t want your scallops swimming in fat or oil.
2. i like to season both sides of the scallop. i place the scallops on a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. when pan is hot, add scallop and cook until scallop easily separates from your skillet. flip and repeat. all in all, this takes about 1-3 minutes a side depending on the size of your scallop.

serve over salad, serve with rice and wilted spinach. sit back, relax, enjoy and eat.