Scallops are an easy and delicious meal to cook at home, thanks to their sweet flavor, tender texture, and ability to work with various other ingredients.

However, if you make the cardinal mistake of forgetting to remove the scallop's side muscle before cooking, it will turn into a chewy, rubbery mess.

Also known as the foot, the side muscle protrudes from the side of the rest of the scallop flesh, and connects the rest of the scallop to its shell as it moves through the ocean.

It’s recognizable from its different color from the rest of the scallop and to remove it, you have to pinch it between your fingers and pull it away from the scallop.

You can either discard the side muscle or put it aside to simmer in water and seasonings for broth that you can use to add flavor to your scallop dish.