September’s Featured Catch: Atlantic Sea Scallops
Eating these mollusks is one shell of an idea.
Aug 19, 2025
They’re on the menu at seafood shacks in New England and fine-dining restaurants from Pittsburgh to Paris. They can be cooked up in your kitchen as part of a delicious meal, in simple, easy weeknight dishes, or in more luxurious preparations, such as the classic French dish Coquilles St. Jacques (more on that below). They are Atlantic sea scallops, one of the tastiest and healthiest forms of protein to put at the center of your plate.
Shellfish lovers already appreciate these meaty mollusks, known for their sweet taste, decorative shells — which often double as a serving platter — and ability to soak up flavors from sauces and other ingredients. For those less familiar, we have teamed up with Eastern Fisheries, which supplies this month’s Featured Catch, a monthly series that tells the story of a single species and what makes it such high quality, from taste to sustainability. This helpful guide shines a light on everything you need to know about Atlantic sea scallops.
What are scallops?
Scallops are bivalve mollusks, which means they have two shells hinged at one end. They can clap their shells together, forcing water out to propel themselves in short bursts, making them the only mollusk that can move through a habitat and escape predators.
The muscle that develops from this repetitive opening and closing, known as the abductor muscle, can be eaten. It is prized for its firm, tender texture and a hint of sweetness that chefs and home cooks love to complement with savory flavors.
When did humans start consuming scallops?
The earliest mention of scallops in culinary history dates back to 1280 A.D., when explorer Marco Polo found them being sold in a market of Hangchow, China.
Closer to home, it’s thought that European settlers, in what is now New England, harvested scallops as food in the 1600s, though they were less prized than other shellfish such as lobster and oysters. By the 1800s, however, New Englanders adopted scallops as a favorite dish, and they’ve been a coastal staple ever since.
What is the difference between Atlantic sea scallops and other types of scallops?
Atlantic scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) are found in deep waters from Maine down to North Carolina, between three and 200 miles offshore. They are one of the largest edible varieties of the mollusk; the round discs of Atlantic scallop meat are up to about an inch thick and a few inches in diameter.
Other types of scallops include bay, calico, Pacific, Japanese, and king. Bay scallops are from the same coastal region as Atlantic sea scallops, but are almost half the size of them. Other scallops are regional. For instance:
Calicos are small bay-like scallops found in waters from Florida’s Gulf Coast down into Central America.
Giant Pacific, or weathervanes, are large scallops from Alaska, also prized for their buttery, slightly sweet taste.
Japanese scallops are known as Yesso or Hokkaido, the latter named for where they’re cultivated. They’re often used in sushi and sashimi.
- Patagonian, also known as Argentinean or Antarctic scallops, or similar to bay scallops. They're small, sweet, and delicate.
King scallops are found from the British Isles to Scandinavia and down to the Mediterranean. This variety is slightly larger than most Atlantic sea scallops. King scallops are beloved in French cooking, where scallop dishes, such as Coquilles St. Jacques, have become a culinary staple and all-stars of French gastronomy.
OK, so what is Coquilles St. Jacques?
One of the most famous French seafood dishes, Coquilles St. Jacques features king scallops cooked in a creamy mushroom sauce and topped with cheese and breadcrumbs, then served in its original shell. Atlantic sea scallops are a perfect substitute and are used in the dish throughout the United States.
The dish is named for an apostle who died in a shipwreck off Spain; Catholic pilgrims who went to visit would reportedly return with scallop shells, or coquilles, found near St. James (or St. Jacques, as the French called him).
Julia Child helped popularize the dish in America, where it has become a favorite in French restaurants and home kitchens from coast to coast.
When are Atlantic sea scallops harvested?
Eastern Fisheries has 95-foot scallop vessels that fish the North Atlantic. Each boat usually spends 75 to 80 days at sea each season, which begins in early spring. In open areas, a crew of seven will fish for a specific amount of time without catch limits; in closed areas, they can only harvest up to a certain weight set each year by the scallop fishery management.
How are Atlantic sea scallops harvested?
Like all scallops, these cluster in dense populations of beds along the sandy ocean floors. They are harvested by dredging. After being submerged for approximately 50 minutes, the dredge is hauled on deck with hydraulic winches. In just 4 to 5 minutes, the crew hauls the dredges, releases the catch, and maneuvers the dredges overboard for another drag. The dredge, a specialized net open on one side and attached to a steel frame, rolls along the ocean bottom, and scallops are scooped up into the net.
Younger, smaller scallops are protected from harvest by passing through the net’s regulated 4-inch ring size and remaining on the bottom. Similarly, the size of the twine top mesh protects a variety of fish species by preventing unwanted bycatch.
Why are scallop shells thrown back into the sea?
Scallops are shucked by hand and rinsed onboard before being packed in 50-pound semipermeable cloth bags and stored in the ice hold of a vessel. The shells are discarded back into the ocean where they become habitats and safe havens for other sea creatures, serving as an important part of ecosystem resiliency.
How are sea scallops processed?
After the scallops are unloaded from the boats, they arrive at the processing plant to be rinsed, graded, and inspected for quality. The individually quick frozen process, also known as IQF, allows the scallop to hold its sweet flavor and protects the overall quality of the meat.
Are scallops sustainably fished?
The Atlantic sea scallop population is well-managed, according to NOAA Fisheries, and is operating at sustainable levels thanks to the collaboration of fishermen, scientists, and management teams.
The New England Fishery Management Council manages the Atlantic sea scallop in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council under the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fisheries Management Plan. Through practices such as gear restrictions, closed areas, limits on days-at-sea, and placing observers onboard fishing vessels, the U.S. scallop fishery remains a sustainable and well-managed fishery.
The Atlantic sea scallops caught by Eastern Fisheries are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
How to prepare scallops
Scallops freeze extremely well, maintaining their flavor and texture exquisitely when thawed overnight in a refrigerator and cooked within a day. Never refreeze scallops after they are thawed.
Before cooking scallops, you need to remove the tough piece of muscle that connects the scallop to its shell; it is easily removed by peeling it off. If this piece of muscle is not removed and discarded, the scallop will become tough and rubbery when cooked.
Besides the more ornate Coquille St. Jacques, scallops can be prepared in a number of ways. Searing the shellfish and serving it alongside fresh seasonal vegetables is relatively easy; they can be added to pasta in a cream sauce, and as anyone who has ever visited a seafood shack knows, they are tasty when fried and served with a squeeze of lemon. Scallops can also be baked, sautéed, and used in soups, chowders, and salads.
READ MORE: The Art of Searing Scallops
Three scallop recipes
Are scallops healthy to eat?
Scallops boast plenty of nutritional value. They are an excellent source of lean protein and are naturally low in fat and calories. One 3-ounce serving of steamed sea scallops offers 17 grams of protein with approximately 100 calories. Scallops are also a source of heart-healthy B12, magnesium, and potassium.
The high-quality protein in a scallop contains essential amino acids — organic molecules that our bodies cannot produce — and minerals, including copper, iron, and zinc. Scallops contain omega-3 fatty acids, too, derived from the phytoplankton that are a source of food.
READ MORE: Omega-3s, Explained
Where does Vital Choice source its Atlantic sea scallops?
Eastern Fisheries, founded in 1978, has 28 fishing vessels, making it the largest scallop fleet in the industry. It’s vertically integrated, with a fully automated MSC–certified processing facility in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the number one fishing port in the United States. Vital Choice has partnered with Eastern Fisheries, a leader in scallop harvest and production, to make Atlantic sea scallops available for shipping to your home.
Featured Catch of the Month
AUTHOR
Richard Martin is a writer, editor, and strategist who specializes in food, drink, and travel. He is the co-founder and editor of Appetito, the new online publication about Italian food and drink, and the co-author of the cookbook series Preserved, from publisher Hardie Grant NA.
