Little Squirts
Posted by Debbie Lloyd on May 11, 2005
Q: So is scallop roe made of eggs as we ate some the other night on the bbq and I disected the orange bit which was the roe yet no eggs only the pooh,are we eating the pooh or their eggs or another muscle of the scallop. Please let me know as their is a bit of confusion on my end..
A: Debbie:
Almost exclusively in the U.S. the Scallop abductor muscle is what is eaten when someone has "Scallops." Although eating the reproductive gland is not common in the U.S., I understand it is in France and other European countries.
When shucking a fresh Scallop you find the crescent shaped pink/orange reproductive gland attached to the side of the abductor muscle. If it is a pregnant female Scallop it will have roe inside. Roe is a great source of vitamins A and D, very long-chain fatty acids, and zinc. If that's what you would have eaten it would have been very good for you!
Not knowing more about the type of Scallop you cooked, it's size, etc., I'd say you may have eaten either a male or an unfertilized female Scallop.
Jim Berry ( May 11, 2005)