How to Cook Deep Fried Scallops

Interested in mixing things up in the kitchen and deep frying some scallops? This little twist on the traditional seafood dish is sure to be a hit in your home. You can put deep-fried scallops on a bun, throw them in a sandwich, or eat them for dinner with some couscous and steamed vegetables. Here, we’ll break down everything you’ll need to know about deep frying scallops.

Ingredients

1/4 pound of scallops
1-2 eggs
Breadcrumbs
A slice of bread
Lemon wedges
Tartar sauce or red cocktail sauce
- Tartar sauce: one-part mayonnaise, one-part green sweet relish. Stir
- Red cocktail sauce: one-part ketchup, one-part horseradish.

1

Get your scallops.

You will need approximately 1/4 pound of scallops per person. This recipe is for one pound.

2

Use a deep fryer or pan.

You will also need either a deep fryer or a deep-fringe pan. This isn’t safe to do in a shallow container that can’t that can comfortably hold a couple of inches of oil.

3

Heat the oil.

Start heating the oil while you assemble the rest of the ingredients. The oil must get extremely hot, so don’t leave the kitchen unattended.

4

Mix eggs and water.

Break 1-2 eggs in a shallow bowl and add 1/4 cup of water for each egg. You don't want too thick of a batter.

5

Put breadcrumbs in a pie pan.

Place breadcrumbs into a pie pan, or on a paper plate. You’ll toss the scallops in the crumbs after setting them in the eggs.

6

Test your oil.

Break up a piece of bread and toss it in the oil. If the bread turns golden almost immediately, the oil is ready to go.^{[1]
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7

Toss the scallops.

Throw them in the egg batter then the breadcrumbs. Use a strainer spoon to remove the scallops from the egg and then set them in breadcrumbs. Toss to coat evenly.^{[2]
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8

Fry the scallops.

Do this extremely slowly to avoid splashing oil. Carefully place spoonfuls of scallops into your hot oil.

9

Wait 3-4 minutes.

It shouldn’t take long for the scallops to cook. You’ll have a delicious meal in no time!^{[3]
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10

Plate the scallops.

Serve with lemon wedges, tartar sauce, or red cocktail sauce. Pat the scallops dry to remove the excess oil if you’d like.^{[4]
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Community Q&A

Question

What kind of breadcrumbs should I use?

Community Answer

Use panko.
Question

What is best oil to fry scallops in?

Community Answer

Sunflower oil is the healthiest, sesame oil has the highest combustion point, but Carolan oil is the most widely used.
Question

What is the small piece of meat that stands out from the rest of the scallop that some people remove before cooking?

Community Answer

It’s a little piece of muscle which can be easily removed with your fingers if desired.

Warnings

When working with hot oil, please be careful to put the Scallops in carefully, in small batches, turning the spoon away from the direction of your body.

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