When I had a restaurant in New York in the early 1980s, we would occasionally get deliveries, from Long Island, of fresh bay scallops still in the shell. Now, most of the Long Island bay scallops have disappeared due to pollution and overharvesting. But because they are now aqua-farmed in China and are still harvested in parts of New England, bay scallops are easier than ever to find, both in and out of the shell.
Don’t confuse authentic bay scallops, smaller cousins of sea scallops, with calico scallops, which are sometimes sold as bay scallops. Calico scallops, usually from Florida and almost always sold out of their shell, are much smaller than bay scallops and have a milky cast that’s a result of their having been steamed open as part of an industrial shucking process. (They look a little like miniature marshmallows.) Authentic bay scallops are larger and have a clean white or slightly pink sheen. Bay scallops in the shell come in various colors and look like miniature European sea scallops (the ones with the classic striated shells).