National Fried Scallops Day – Bay Scallops or Sea Scallops?

I like scallops, I prefer fried bay scallops, they are small and easy to pop in my mouth. I have no problem ordering them occasionally in a restaurant but they just are not everyday dinner food. Not a budget-friendly meal option when you are feeding 3 children. Do you prefer bay scallops or sea scallops?
I grew up in Northern Illinois in the seventies and eighties, not a lot of fresh seafood readily available in a small town. I can’t remember ever having shellfish for regular dinners growing up. When we had seafood, it was canned tuna, canned salmon or frozen white fish. The tuna came in the form of tuna casserole, which is still a favorite with my kids. The salmon appeared as a salmon loaf or salmon patties topped with tomato soup (ugh). You can imagine my surprise when I came face to face with fresh salmon and discovered I liked salmon. I have fond memories of the frozen rectangle of white fish. Mom would bake it in the oven with butter and some seasonings or make a fish chowder which was delicious. I will have to see if she can produce that recipe but this one from Taste of Home is pretty close.

Favorite Fish Chowder – Taste of Home

When I was 18 I moved to Boston to be a nanny. I was fortunate enough to work for a family who not only encouraged me to cook anything I wish but also provided me with an open-ended budget to do so. I can remember just standing in front of the seafood counter at the gourmet grocery and staring at the mountains of fresh fish and seafood on ice.
My first attempt to cook scallops was adding bay scallops to a tomato based seafood chowder like this one from I Heart Naptime

Slow Cooker Seafood Soup – I Heart Naptime

I haven’t made it in years but I need to try it again, this recipe looks delicious. The only way I have ever made sea scallops was to wrap them in bacon (yummy!!!). This recipe from Sweet C’s looks fantastic.