Scalone
Submitted by GOLTON
Scalone seafood patties combining ground abalone and sea scallops, pan-fried in butter and oil. A West Coast specialty that stretches expensive abalone into family dinner.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
5 minREADY
20 minScalone is a clever West Coast invention from the days when abalone was still affordable along the California coast. Home cooks would stretch their catch by grinding the chewy abalone meat together with sweet sea scallops, binding them with egg, and pan-frying the mix into delicate patties. The name itself is a portmanteau, scallops plus abalone, and the technique is genius.
Grinding the two seafoods separately is the move. Abalone needs aggressive processing to tenderize the muscle, while scallops break down quickly and turn to paste if overworked. Combine them after each is properly ground for the right texture.
Fry quickly, less than a minute per side. The seafood is delicate and turns rubbery the second it overcooks. A light flour dredge gives a crisp golden exterior that locks the juices in.
Squeeze of lemon at the table and you have something special.
Chef Tips
- Pulse the abalone in short bursts and check the texture. You want ground but not pureed. Over-processing creates rubbery patties.
- Shape the patties on the thin side, about ½ inch thick. Thick patties stay raw inside while the outside burns.
- Use a mix of oil and butter. The butter delivers flavor and browning; the oil raises the smoke point so the butter does not burn.
- Shake off excess flour aggressively. Too much flour creates a gummy coating instead of a delicate crust.
- Cook in batches in a hot pan. Crowding drops the temperature and turns patties soggy.
Variations
- Shrimp swap: if abalone is unavailable or out of budget, substitute peeled raw shrimp for a more accessible version.
- Herb-finished: stir 2 tablespoons of finely chopped dill or chives into the ground mixture.
- Tartar-served: pair with homemade tartar sauce and lemon wedges for the full coastal experience.
Ingredients
Directions
Put into food processor. Process until well ground.
Remove abalone.
Add scallops to processor and grind well.
Combine abalone, scallops, egg and salt.
Shape into flat patties. In a skillet, heat oil and butter.
Dip patties in flour. Shake off excess. Fry quickly, a minute or less, per side.
If desired, serve with lemon slices.
Comments
40 years ago, I enjoyed scalone at Italian restaurants and I haven't been able to find any since then. I don't think the scalone I ate was made of ground abalone and scallops, I think they were pounded together.
I live somewhat close to the ocean and can't find abalone either. Anyone know where I can find either?
Giovanni's fish market, Moro Bay, Calif. Be aware they are often out of stock. They ship all of US overnite, can be costly. When in stock they sell @ $20.00 per pound & minimum 1 pound. And yes, abalone & scallops are ground 50/50 then formed into patties usually 8 per pound.
There are online purveyors of live and frozen abalone, expensive though, $70 to $100 per pound
Charles Street Dinner House, Mariposa, Ca has scalone on their menu.
Very excited that I just found Giovanni's Fish Market that can ship scalone to me. I enjoyed this when I lived in San Francisco, Ca, but unfortunately, moved away from the bay, many years ago, and like the other comment above, have not seen scalone on a restaurant's menu, since.
I loved scalone when I dined in Santa Barbara CA on the pier at least 40 years ago. So glad to find a purveyer to supply some.
In the 1970s and 1980s in, of all places, a local diner in a very small farming town, Patterson, California, Mils Diner had a scalone dinner offering. Mom and her husband took me there and they suggested the scalone. I tried it and was hooked!!! Luscious!!! Exquisite!!! So extremely tasty!!!!!
I moved away and in the mid-continent area nobody has heard of scalone and the few times it was available on-line it was too darn expensive. Oh well. Memories of one of the finer foods I have ever eaten remain.
Curiosity led to a search for Mils Diner and it appears that wonderful item is no longer on the menu. Likely due to an inconsistent supply of scalone. Mother Earth simply can not support over SEVEN-BILLION humans stripping the biosphere of edibles. First-world countries are limiting birth rates. The 2nd- and 3rd-world better do the same or famines await.
I purchased green lipped Abalone at Costco. 24 hour thaw but will pound them together and saute as that is how I remember them in the 80's.