The Best Scallops To Buy For Grilling This Summer To Avoid A Charcoal-Covered Mistake

Scallops are a titan of the seafood world — deliciously complex in flavor, gorgeously tender, yet with a perfect amount of bite. Cooking them might be a challenge, but if you nail them, you're truly in for a treat. While the traditionalist among you might believe that pan frying your scallops, then basting them (much like you might a steak) is the best way to maximize their flavor, they also thrive when grilled. Getting the best results, though, means setting yourself up for success — and that means buying top quality scallops. To find out exactly what to look for, we spoke to an expert. 

Chef Marcus Samuelsson is the legendary restauranteur and author behind the Harlem icon Red Rooster, and the former head chef of the Michelin starred restaurant Aquavit, in New York. He also designed his own dream kitchen using Monogram appliances, which was featured in Bon Appétit. "When it comes to scallops, it's all about size, quality, and knowing how to let the ingredient speak for itself," he told us. "For grilling, or even pan searing, I love working with diver scallops, particularly U10 size." The "U" stands for "under," and is a way of categorizing scallops by weight, with U10 being the largest scallops. "That means you get about 10 scallops per pound, and each one is meaty, sweet, and holds its shape beautifully," Samuelsson said.

Meatier scallops like these stand up to heat very well. "They caramelize on the outside, get that gorgeous golden crust, but stay tender and buttery inside," he said. "Diver scallops are also hand-harvested, which usually means better quality and more sustainable sourcing." Remember, keep things simple, and allow the scallops to speak for themselves. "The key with scallops is not to overcomplicate, let the ingredient shine, and build flavor around the dish."

Once you've chosen your scallops, there are a few other simple prep tips to follow in order to truly set yourself up for success. You could grill your scallops just as they are, and they'll be truly delicious — but you might think you should take things to the next level and use a marinade in order to get the very best texture from your meat whilst highlighting (and enhancing) their natural flavors. You'd be making a mistake to do that, though. Scallops are delicate. Anything particularly spice-heavy or overly acidic will only overwhelm their naturally briny and sweet flavor profile. "Less is more with scallops," chef Marcus Samuelsson told us. "You don't really want to marinate them the way you would with tougher proteins; they're delicate. Sweet, briny, clean." Too long in a super acidic marinade and you end up breaking down both the texture and flavor of your scallops. "If you soak them in too much acid or strong spices, you lose that natural elegance," he explained.

Instead, make the most of the clean flavor profile that scallops have and use the grill to make the best of them. "What I like to do is keep the prep super simple, pat them dry, really dry, so you get that nice caramelized sear," chef Samuelsson explained. Simple seasoning is all you need. "A light touch of sea salt, maybe a little cracked pepper. From there, you can build flavor either right before or right after cooking."

When grilling scallops, much like any protein, but especially fish and shellfish, it's important to have a proper understanding of temperature. Having control over how hot your grill is, the internal temperature of your scallops, and how long you cook them for are all essential to make sure you get the very best results — and you can't lose focus. "Scallops are all about precision," chef Marcus Samuelsson told us. "You've got this beautiful ingredient, sweet, delicate, almost buttery, and the goal is to enhance it." The very best chefs understand that the kiss of a grill can bring just a little extra smokiness and sweetness to your scallop, helping to really develop its flavor, rather than distracting from it.

"One of the most common mistakes? Overcooking," Samuelsson said. "You go just 30 seconds too long, and you lose that tenderness, that natural ocean flavor. So control is everything." Make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew — work on just a couple of scallops at a time, taking care not to crowd your grill (or pan) to keep the heat at just the right temperature to allow the Maillard reaction to do its thing and develop a great crust without overcooking the scallops (or letting them go soggy and chewy). For pinpoint accuracy when it comes to the temperature of your pan, abandon the gas stove or grill. "I love using an induction cooktop when I'm cooking scallops indoors," Samuelsson explained. "It's a game-changer. Clean, efficient, and precise. Plus, I love that it's easy to clean. I can go from scallops to sauce without skipping a beat."