Tips for Cooking Digby Scallops

Eeeeeek, I can't believe I've been Bay of Fundy blogging for a year and a half yet haven't shared my enthusiasm for Digby scallops. Digby, at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy on the Nova Scotia side, is world famous for its scallop fishery. Restaurants, fish markets and grocery stores across Canada and parts of the U.S. pride themselves in selling fresh and flash frozen Digby scallops. When buying for home use be sure to purchase either fresh or uncooked frozen scallops. (Pre-cooked frozen scallops are woody and dry).

Our sea scallops may be a bit bigger than others you've previously encountered but they're even more tender and flavourful. One of most common way we locals like to cook them is sliced (to even up the sizes) then fried in butter with minced fresh garlic and a bit of lemon juice squeezed over top. If you like your scallops to brown when cooked pat dry the moisture (with paper towel) on the raw scallops before frying them.

Be really careful not to overcook them. If sliced, they'll only take a minute or so to fry on medium heat. If whole, count on about 2 minutes per side. Overcook 'em and they'll be tough and stringy. (Give them to your dog or the seagulls and start all over - it's not worth it!)