Sea scallops - what are they? Family of marine bivalve mollusks. Benefits of scallop

Scallops are an excellent source of pure protein with minimal fat. The love for eating fresh scallops is especially common in China and France. In these countries, it is customary to eat scallops while they are alive, lightly sprinkled with lemon juice adding salt and olive oil.

But it is not at all necessary to eat this seafood raw, world cooking knows many recipes variety of dishes with the participation of mollusks. Scallop dishes are perfect for dietary nutrition.

The main advantage of all seafood can be called low content fat in shellfish meat - per 100 g of product there is only 2 g of fat, while it contains practically no carbohydrates, the glycogen content is within 3 g for the same volume.

It turns out that including scallop dishes in the diet will help not only maintain a decent level of protein in the body, but at the same time prevent the entry of hated fats into the human body. The low calorie content of scallop dishes allows them to be used in a low-carbohydrate diet.

Iodine

Shellfish meat allows you to completely absorb this useful mineral by the human body. Without iodine, it is not possible to effectively combat the symptoms of lethargy, fatigue and stress - a lack of T3 and T4 secretion that occurs when functioning is impaired thyroid gland, has exactly this effect, and iodine restores and strengthens it. The presence of iodine is mandatory in foods for nursing women and children.

Magnesium

Without a sufficient amount of magnesium in a person's diet, an imbalance of water-salt balance occurs, which can lead to seizures. Magnesium is useful for strengthening nervous system and keeping her in good shape.

Potassium

Strong and healthy blood vessels can be preserved by receiving required quantity this mineral. Potassium is useful for stable heart function and will help cope with metabolic disruptions in the human body. Like magnesium, potassium controls water-salt balance and with its significant deficiency, swelling may occur.

Vitamin B12

Sea scallops contain optimal quantity vitamin B12, without which it is impossible to carry out rehabilitation after long-term protein-free diets. After giving up meat and dairy dishes, recovery with the help of seafood is more effective and safer, and the content of vitamin B12 in the body returns to normal.

The nervous system, which does not receive enough B12, begins to malfunction, which is reflected in a lack of coordination and a lowered pain threshold when the body is exposed to high and low temperatures. Seafood is a source of essential amino acids, which, like vitamin B12, are easily absorbed by the human body.

In children's diet

Domestic medicine does not advise consuming foods that can cause allergic reaction in children, and seafood can be just such an irritant for a fragile child’s body. Some experts suggest that pregnant women and children should completely avoid eating seafood, but such arguments have not yet been supported by sufficient scientific research and the harm has not been proven.

How to choose shellfish

Not many people can consider themselves experts in such a matter as how to choose delicacies caught in the sea ​​depths. Fresh gifts of the ocean have no smell other than natural sea ​​smell iodine-rich algae. Scallops should be on ice on the store counter.

You should choose only fresh, live shells with strongly compressed valves, otherwise you will purchase an already dead mollusk and will not receive quality product. If you have to purchase scallops frozen, make sure they have not been thawed. Repeated freezing procedures sea ​​creatures lead to a decrease in product quality. The benefits of preparing such products will not be great.

How to cook

Fresh shells are washed using a brush in running water, removing fine debris from sand and various bottom sediments. To quickly open the doors, throw the shells into boiling water for a couple of minutes. The extracted meat is washed plain water and the product is ready for cooking.

The taste of scallops is slightly sweet and the structure of the meat is similar to shrimp. Preparing shellfish is quick and quite simple.

Before cooking, shellfish should be defrosted; it is believed that by putting frozen scallops in boiling water, you get a tasteless dish; all famous restaurateurs insist on this.

Thawed shellfish should not be eaten raw, as the Chinese or French do (they only eat fresh shells) - send the meat for heat treatment in any way.

Scallops can be boiled, fried, stewed and marinated. To get dietary dish It is worth paying attention to the freshness of the oil when frying in order to avoid carcinogens in fried shellfish. It is enough to keep the meat for 2-3 minutes in a well-heated frying pan with a minimum amount of olive oil and an excellent dietary dish is ready.

To cook scallops, it is enough to keep them in boiling water for 6 minutes; steaming will take up to 12 minutes; baking depends on the temperature in the oven and is calculated individually. Recipes for scallop dishes can be found in abundance on the Internet.

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Scallops live in the ocean and are considered a delicacy on our table. They are mined in large quantities by the Chinese and French, for whom this delicacy is a favorite ingredient in cooking. Delicate taste the product is known to all gourmets. They are added to salads, side dishes, stewed, pickled, fried, and added to soups.

Benefits and harms scallops lies in the content of iodine, phosphorus, calcium, copper, and iron in their meat. An interesting fact is that the calcium contained in the product is completely absorbed, unlike medicines containing this substance. Naturally, the benefits of scallops are indispensable for people with diseases of bone tissue and joints, arthritis, rheumatism, and gout.

The mollusk regulates cholesterol levels thanks to the sterol it contains; it is useful for heart diseases. And vitamin B12, which is part of it, prevents depression and improves mood.

The benefits of scallops are known in nutrition, and it is difficult to overestimate them. Shellfish have a high protein content and at the same time they have low calorie content. This allows you, without harm to your health, to replenish your body with a large supply of minerals, polyunsaturated acids and almost the entire multivitamin complex without fear for your figure. In just a few months regular use he is able to turn a woman into a slender beauty.

The benefits of scallops are also known for men. Shellfish help increase sexual desire, regulate reproductive function, and can relieve impotence. Seafood has long been known as an excellent aphrodisiac.

Scallops can be harmful if a person has an excess of calcium in the body. It is very rare to have an allergy to the product, but there are still people who cannot eat it.

Scallops can be harmful if their storage conditions are violated; they are very “capricious” and quickly deteriorate. Don't defrost too often. If they have expired, eating such food can cause serious poisoning.

You can determine whether scallops will be harmful by their appearance. They should not be stained, blue or unpleasant odor. There is some unpleasant feature of shellfish for humans - this is the ability to accumulate toxins, which, when entering our body, can cause poisoning.

Scallops belong to the bivalve family sea ​​mollusks. Scallops are able to move in the water column due to the creation of jet thrust by the frequent flapping of the valves. These mollusks live in all oceans. The shell of scallops is unequal with ears - large areas behind and in front of the apex. Their size may vary, for example, Japanese very large and Galician And Scottish reach medium sizes. Red Chilean scallops very tasty and prized in the Western Hemisphere, even though they are small.

Interesting feature scallops is that along the edge of the mantle there are many small eyes (up to 100 pieces) located in two rows. The distance at which they see is quite enough to react to the approach of the enemy.

How to choose

Sea scallops are sold both peeled and with shell. Fresh shellfish must have the smell of the sea. Very large scallops are older and have fewer useful substances than young people. Fresh shellfish meat should be column-shaped and pinkish-cream or grayish in color.

If you plan to eat raw scallops, you should buy them alive. In live mollusks removed from water, the valves should be closed, or close at the slightest touch with a finger. Only such scallops are eaten raw.

How to store

Frozen scallops are stored in freezer no more than three months. Fresh ones should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than three days, after placing them in a container filled with ice.

How to defrost and clean

Frozen scallops should be thawed at room temperature. Do not defrost shellfish in hot water or using a microwave oven. You should start cooking them immediately after defrosting.

Before cooking, scallops should be washed in cold water, and if desired, remove the white formation on one side. If there is a small coral sac in the shell, do not throw it away, as it is caviar and is very tasty.

Reflection in culture

The scallop shell is used as an emblem of the Way of St. James crossing Western Europe, as well as pilgrims coming to the tomb of St. James. And the bivalve shell of mollusks has long been considered a symbol of the feminine water principle.

Calorie content of scallops

Scallops, in addition to other positive qualities, have one more thing - low calorie content, which is only 88 kcal per 100 grams of meat. This allows you to count shellfish dietary product, and include in the diet of various diets.

Nutritional value per 100 grams:

Beneficial properties of sea scallops

Composition and presence of nutrients

Sea scallops have a very rich and varied composition, since their meat contains a large amount of protein, as well as minerals: magnesium, iodine, iron, phosphorus, copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt. It also contains polyunsaturated omega acids and a multivitamin complex. Scallop meat is considered dietary due to the fact that it is low-calorie, low-fat and low in carbohydrates.

Useful and healing properties

Scallop meat reduces cholesterol levels in the blood, normalizes metabolism, improves the functioning of the nervous, endocrine and cardiovascular systems, and increases the overall tone of the human body. The large amount of iodine in scallops, as well as their high biological value, allows us to recommend them as required product in the nutrition of patients with atherosclerosis.

In Asian culture, the scallop is considered one of the indispensable means for increasing potency in men. Scientists have proven that regular consumption of scallops helps not only restore sexual function, but also maintain it at a high level for a long time.

The most valuable parts of scallops are the mantle and the adductor muscle. The scallop is a source of the most valuable natural minerals, and its benefits cannot be overestimated. Meat also contains vitamin PP, which is part of the enzymes that ensure cellular respiration. He also provides positive action for the normal functioning of the pancreas and stomach.

In cooking

Scallop meat is used to prepare a variety of dishes: soups, salads, cabbage rolls, cutlets and many others. It is very tender and sweetish in taste. French cuisine is especially rich various recipes, including scallops.

Methods for preparing scallops are very diverse. They are baked, boiled, pickled, stewed, and also cooked together with the shell in champagne. Also, some gourmets eat them raw, pouring olive oil and lemon juice.

In cosmetology

Scallops are undoubtedly beneficial for people who are obese, especially those with manifestations of atherosclerotic vascular disease. Dishes with this dietary seafood, due to low calorie, are recommended by many nutritionists.

Scallop– a delicious seafood belonging to the family of sea mollusks. Outwardly, it looks like mussels. The scallop is easily recognized by the ribbed fan-shaped grooves on the valves, as well as by the shell, which is most often light brown in color (see photo). There are more than three hundred and fifty species of these marine inhabitants, but only three of them are suitable for consumption (Spondylus, Pecten and Lima).

Sea scallops are found in the world's oceans. Their size in diameter can be from two to twenty centimeters. Chilean mollusks are among the smallest. They are also considered the most delicious. The larger ones are Galician and Scottish, but only Japanese scallops reach the largest sizes.

The meat of this delicious seafood is incredibly tasty. It is very tender and sweet in taste. This delicacy also has low calorie content, therefore belongs to the category of dietary products.

How to select and store scallops?

When choosing a scallop, like any other seafood, you need to be very careful. Products of this kind spoil quickly enough, which means there is a risk of choosing stale shellfish.

In stores, scallops are often sold as frozen fillets. At proper freezing this product practically does not lose its beneficial properties. Also available for sale fresh shellfish with a sink, but this is rare. Most often it can be seen in pickled and canned form.

When purchasing this seafood, it is always recommended to first pay attention to its size. It is better to choose small scallops: they are many times tastier than large ones.

According to the current GOST, a scallop must meet the following technical requirements:

• the surface of the mollusk with the shell is dense and clean, minor depressions are allowed;
• loose fillets – intact, well separated from each other;
• defrosted fillet – minor damage to some parts of the product is allowed;
• seafood color - can vary from white to dark cream depending on the type of shellfish and processing method;
• the consistency of defrosted scallop meat is elastic;
• when boiled, the fillet may be firm or slightly soft;
• the smell of scallops after defrosting is marine without any foreign aromas;
• the presence of foreign impurities is not allowed.

Raw scallops must be stored strictly in the refrigerator. Under such conditions, their shelf life is three days. In the freezer, seafood can retain its properties for up to three months.

Use in cooking

There are many culinary recipes using scallops. delicious dishes. This seafood product is especially popular in French cuisine. It created a lot of amazing culinary masterpieces based on it. French chefs include such shellfish in all kinds of salads, appetizers, cutlets and even pies. However, most gourmets prefer raw scallops. Before eating, they are sprinkled with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

There are a lot of ways, as well as recipes, for cooking scallops. Shellfish can be fried, stewed, baked in the oven and even grilled. At the same time expose heat treatment Both fresh and frozen seafood are allowed.

Advice! So that during defrosting the scallop does not lose taste qualities, it must be defrosted exclusively naturally. Use a microwave or hot water highly not recommended.

This variety of shellfish goes perfectly with cream sauce, as well as with bacon, with all kinds of vegetables and mushrooms. This product also harmonizes perfectly with herbs and with such alcoholic drinks like champagne and white wine.

Using scallop fillets, you can prepare the following list of dishes:

• shashlik;
• tagliolini;
• aspic;
• carpaccio;
• pilaf and more.

In Japan, this type of shellfish is used to make rolls and sushi. They can also be used to make canned food and some Korean dishes.

As a rule, the edible part of scallops is the adductor muscle. However, sometimes when cleaning seafood you come across caviar, which is also eaten both raw and fried and baked. We recommend watching the video below to learn how to properly clean scallops.

Benefits and harms

This type of seafood not only has excellent taste, but also incredible benefits for a person. It is impossible not to note its rich vitamin and mineral composition. It contains vitamins B and PP, as well as huge amount useful elements, among which zinc, fluorine and iodine predominate. Scallops also contain fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) and easily digestible protein.

The beneficial properties of such mollusks have been known since the time Ancient Greece, and then this product was actively used as remedy. It has been scientifically proven that regular consumption of scallops reduces blood cholesterol levels and improves the functioning of the endocrine and nervous systems.

This healing seafood has the following series of effects on the body::

• treats bone and joint diseases;
• improves the functioning of the digestive system;
• provides the body with the missing amount of calcium;
• regulates the activity of the stomach and pancreas;
• has a positive effect on heart function.

Scallops are immensely beneficial for men, as they help increase potency. This delicacy has long been considered an incomparable aphrodisiac.

About the harm of this product Only those people who suffer from an excess of calcium in the body should think about it. Shellfish are also harmful if you have an individual intolerance to seafood, but this is very rare.

The scallop is one of the most gourmet delicacies, which is usually not included in daily menu. The meat of this seafood is valued for its delicate texture and pleasant sweet taste!

Scallops are considered a special delicacy. These products contain a huge range of useful substances, but they also have contraindications. In this regard, close attention has always been focused on the topic of the benefits and harms of scallops.

Beneficial properties of sea scallops

1. These seafood contains iodine, calcium, iron, and copper. It was found that all microelements from shellfish are completely absorbed. Therefore, they will be very useful for people with arthritis, gout, rheumatism, joint and bone diseases.
2. Sea scallops regulate blood cholesterol levels. This happens due to great content sterol. The latter is known for its usefulness in heart diseases. It is worth noting that the sterol contains vitamin B12, which improves mood and helps fight depression.
3. Another benefit of scallops is to increase sexual desire in men. They regulate reproductive function and can even eliminate impotence. These mollusks have long been known as excellent aphrodisiacs.
4. They contain vitamin PP, which replenishes the composition of enzymes that affect cellular respiration. It was found that scallops increase the overall tone of the body, therefore they are recommended for elderly people.
5. Fatty acids and omega-6 are very important for the body. They prevent the risk of developing serious and in some cases incurable diseases. These acids are also part of the healthy shellfish.

Calorie content of scallops

Shellfish have gained great popularity in nutrition. Having such a large number minerals, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, scallops are very low in calories. 100 g of product contains 90 kcal. In addition, seafood speeds up metabolism. That is why they fit so successfully into various diets and allow cells to receive all the necessary vitamins. This has a beneficial effect on your figure - the result will be noticeable after several months of regular consumption of seafood.

Shellfish are not recommended for people with excess calcium in the body. Also Some people were allergic to one of the elements included in these seafood products. Scallops have one unpleasant feature - they accumulate toxins. Therefore, before purchasing, you need to carefully look at them appearance. There should be no blue, plaque or unpleasant odor on top. In some cases, it was these signs that led to poisoning, and not an allergy at all.

The benefits of scallops are invaluable. These amazing seafood give to the human body almost everything you need. Therefore, after consuming them, you feel lightness and emotional uplift. It is important to remember about purchasing fresh products and their proper storage.