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National Fried Scallops Day

Food · October 2

A food day for fried scallops: tender sea scallops or bay scallops coated in batter or crumbs and fried until golden and crisp outside.

National Fried Scallops Day falls on Saturday, October 2, 2027. That is 340 days away.

Fried scallops are scallops dipped in batter or breadcrumbs and fried until the coating turns golden. Inside, the scallop stays soft and slightly sweet, which is the whole point of the crunch around it.

The part of the scallop people eat is mostly the adductor muscle, the strong muscle a scallop uses to open and close its shell. Large sea scallops make a meaty bite. Smaller bay scallops fry quickly and are often served by the basket, piled up like popcorn from the ocean.

On the American coast, especially in New England seafood shacks, fried scallops tend to arrive in a paper boat with fries, coleslaw and a cup of tartar sauce. A wedge of lemon usually rides along. Some cooks keep the coating thin so the scallop's flavor leads. Others go for a thick, craggy crust that shatters.

At home, the trick is timing. Scallops cook fast, and a minute too long can turn them rubbery. Patting them dry before coating helps the batter stick and keeps the oil from spattering as much.

The best ones taste of the sea and the fryer at once, and they are best eaten while still too hot to hold.

Ways to celebrate

• Order a basket of fried scallops at a local seafood spot.
• Try frying a small batch of bay scallops at home.
• Make tartar sauce from scratch to go with them.
• Compare a thin batter with a breadcrumb coating side by side.
• Squeeze fresh lemon over them and taste the difference.

Dates

All national days on October 2

Also on October 2

• Rosh Hashanah
• National Body Language Day
• National Name Your Car Day

Categories: Food days