So what have I learned from Top Chef? First and foremost, choose the right scallops. Three types dominate the market: sea, bay, and calico. You don’t really want calicos. They are often steamed slightly to facilitate the shelling process and as a result are not very flavorful. Sometimes unscrupulous fish mongers try to pass these off as bay scallops, but bays are vastly superior; they are extremely sweet and tender. Sea scallops are everyone’s favorite. They’re big, usually around an inch in diameter, and for that reason feel the most meaty and satisfying. Two or three make a great appetizer, four or five the perfect main course.

A couple other pointers: Obviously, you don’t want frozen scallops. More importantly, be sure to get “dry” not “wet”. Since scallops are often processed on ships that go out for prolonged periods of time, they are soaked in a phosphate solution to maintain their color and to preserve them. Not only does this taste a bit odd, but this liquid leaks out during cooking making it virtually impossible to properly brown the scallops. Also, when choosing bay or sea Scallops look for an off-white, or even slightly beige, color. (I might say egg shell if we were talking paint.) They should not smell fishy, but will have a sweet sea aroma. As with anything you cook, try to get scallops that are all around the same size to ensure even cooking. Finally, when in doubt ask your fishmonger; and make him/her your friend. Remember Motlo Mario ranting about getting to know your supplier? Batali wasn’t joking, you really do get the best product that way.

Ok, so now that you have the scallops, what do you do with them? Because bay scallops are small, I like to include them in pastas, risotto, stews, or soups; ceviche would be great too. Thinly sliced sea scallops are great as sashimi, or marinated briefly in lemon juice and olive oil for an Italian style “crudo”.  There is a great recipe for Scallop Carpaccio with Scallions and Lemons in Scott Conant’s book New Italian Cooking. Whole scallops are great poached or steamed, but undoubted my favorite thing is to sear them on one side until you have a delicious caramelized crust, which adds a bit or texture and a subtle bitterness that perfectly complements the tender sweetness of the scallop’s center. Doing this correctly isn’t difficult, it just requires a bit of TLC.

Firstly, you want your scallops to be at room temperature and completely dry so that they brown well. Pat them with a paper towel to remove any moisture. Season them right before cooking so that the salt doesn’t have time to draw out any liquid (which will prevent browning.) Get your pan hot before you put anything in it. Then add the oil or butter, and finally the scallops, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Now STEP AWAY. Do not move the pan or the scallops until they have a beautiful brown crust on them. This shouldn’t take more than two or three minutes tops. You can take them off the heat at this time, or if you want them cooked a little more, flip them over for another thirty seconds to a minute. Please, please, please do not overcook them. That will make them terribly rubbery.

So what did Top Chefs’ Spike and Lauren do with their scallops: Spike was eliminated for Seared Scallops with Hearts of Palm and Oyster Mushroom, which personally I think would have been a great dish with better Scallops. Jamie’s best scallop dish was Seared Sea Scallops with a Roasted Fennel and Garlic Cream, and Salad of Shaved Fennel, Mint, Oranges, and Cerignola Olives. This is a great play on the classic fennel and olive salad.  As for the real “top chefs,” they are showcasing scallops at many of New York’s best restaurants. Among my favorites are:

• Aquagrill’s Seared Diver Sea Scallops, With Dungeness Crabmeat Risotto And Sugar Snap Peas In A Tomato Shellfish Emulsion
• Le Bernardin’s Warm Sea Scallop Slivers; Lime Zest And Tangerine Leaf, Coconut Milk-Aji Pepper Emulsion
• Esca’s Long Island Sea Scallops with Wild Mushrooms and Italian Muscat Grapes
• Gordon Ramsey At The London’s Maine Diver Scallops, Pressed Octopus, White Asparagus, Crispy Potatoes, Grilled Watermelon
• Jean Georges’ Sea Scallops, Caramelized Cauliflower, Caper-Raisin Emulsion
• Marea’s Roasted Sea Scallops, Grilled Peach, Roasted Tomato, Fairytale Eggplant, Arugula
• Public’s Grilled Scallops with Sweet Chili Sauce, Crème Fraiche and Green Plantain Crisps

Trying to reproduce restaurant dishes at home might sound like quite a daunting task, but some of them are actually quite easy. Jean Georges’ Sea Scallops, Caramelized Cauliflower, Caper-Raisin Emulsion is extremely simple and requires virtually no advanced prep work. Making the whole dish should take you under twenty minutes. Its deliciousness comes from the chef’s playful interpretation of Sicilian or North African flavors; the caramelized cauliflower contributes crunch and vegetal sweetness to the lusciousness of the scallops and the exotic sweet and sour emulsion brings all the flavors together. Below I have slightly adapted the recipe provided by Jean Georges. Enjoy!

Sea Scallops, Caramelized Cauliflower, Caper-Raisin Emulsion

Serves 4

For the Caper-Raisin Emulsion:

1/3 cup capers drained, with 1 tablespoon of their liquid

1/3 cup golden raisins

5/8 cup water

4 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Cauliflower: