Fishing Technique

King scallops tend to bury themselves into the sand when they’re disturbed, so we use a spring-loaded dredge - known as a Newhaven - to rake them up from the seabed. 

At Macduff we operate our own vessels - in fact ours is the largest scallop fleet in Europe. The boats have been specifically built and equipped to fish only for scallops, and they allow us to fish in a controlled, targeted manner. This ensures a more reliable supply of top quality wild scallops, and a responsible, sustainable harvest.

Harvest Area

Processing

At Macduff we meet the boats at the quayside to ensure the scallops get to our processing plant as quickly as possible, and with the minimum of handling. Once they arrive at Mintlaw, they’re washed, opened and shucked by our highly-skilled staff, leaving pristine nuggets of beautiful scallop flesh to be packed fresh or frozen.

Quota

EU legislation controls fisheries through a variety of measures under the Common Fisheries Policy:

• TAC (Total Allowable Catch)
• Fishing Effort
• Technical Measures

King scallops are not subject to TAC or quota restrictions. The fishing fleet is subject to controls on fishing effort, designed to restrict the number of boats in the fishing fleet and the number of days boats can spend fishing. There are also technical measures designed to cover how and where boats can fish. Under the CFP, technical measures include minimum landing sizes, minimum mesh sizes for nets, closed areas and seasons, limits on by-catches, requirement to use more selective fishing gear and measures to prevent damage to the marine environment.

Cooking Instructions

Defrosting Instructions:
For best results, place desire amount of scallops on a thick layer of paper towel and let defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
For quick defrost, place the sealed bag in cold water for 30 minutes. Remove scallops from the bag. Drain. Do not rinse. Gently pat dry.

Pan Seared: Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat. Season defrosted scallops with salt and pepper and add scallops to pan counter clockwise one by one. Be careful not to overcrowd. Sear for two minutes then flip in same order. Sear for another minute; remove heat and allow scallops to rest in the pan for one minute.