SC - Period steamed buns

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Stefan li Rous wrote:
> 
> What are these "hard and objectionalble" parts on scallops? All the scallops
> I've seen were round disks about an inch in diameter and about half that
> thick, sometimes smaller sometimes larger depending upon whether they were
> from ocean or bay. These were firm, kind of like shrimp in firmness but
> I don't remember any "hard and objectionalble" parts. Or were these
> already removed from the ones I saw for sale at the seafood counter?

Very possibly, yes. Scallops are a fairly complex organism, and unless
you get them live, in the shell, in places like France or parts of Asia,
what you're getting and eating is the adductor muscle (the one that
holds the shells closed), which is really two muscles wrapped in a
medium-tough membrane. Once that membrane is removed, you have two
muscles, one being the larger, sweet, tender "tenderloin", the part
usually associated with scallops. The other is known in English as the
"strap", and it's much smaller, less sweet, and full of connective
tissue. All bivalves have adductor muscles, but for most edible species
the adductor is more like the strap than like the main adductor of a
scallop. Usually only culinary deviants like myself bother to eat and
enjoy the adductors of mussels, clams, and oysters.
> 
> I may have to try this recipe sometime, when I'm feeling extravagent.
> Although as I remember there is a big difference in price between the
> bay and ocean scallops.

For what it's worth, Flower and Rosenbaum translate sphondylis as
mussels, and they're much cheaper than even bay scallops in most places.
I think the use of scallops is another Vehlingism, but looking at the
sauce and serving method, I suspect that something more powerfully
flavored than scallops might do well. 

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com