Gordon Ramsay Explains Why Hand-Caught Scallops Are Best

click to play video

In a new video posted Monday, swear-tastic chef Gordon Ramsay goes diving for scallops. "I adore scallops," says Ramsay, "and I serve them on all my menus." He joins diver Tom Whittall, who has been diving for scallops since he was young. After the pair collect a basketful, Ramsay prepares scallop tartare on the shore, using creme fraiche, mascarpone, and lime. It's a pattern that's been repeated in his videos this month: catch fish/crustacean with bare hands, serve a delicious meal on shore, repeat.

Ramsay says that his restaurants purchase scallops that have been caught by hand-diving not only because they taste better, but because commercially caught scallops are generally caught by dredging. The process of dredging can cause significant damage to seabeds and have a massive impacton the ecosystem, all in the service of capturing the scallops.

As these things go, one of the barriers to more restaurants serving scallops caught by divers is the price. By dredging, fishermen are able to catch loads more scallops in a fraction of the time it takes a diver.

Watch Ramsay do the dive-and-cook above.

Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email, and get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.

Dustin Nelson is a News Writer with Thrillist. He holds a Guinness World Record, but has never met the fingernail lady. He’s written for Sports Illustrated, Men’s Journal, The Rumpus, and other digital wonderlands. Follow him @dlukenelson.