Scallop
(pronounced skol-uhp or skal-uhp)
(1) Any of
the various marine bivalve mollusks of the superfamily Pectinoidea (genus
Argopecten (Pecten)) and related genera (attached to a substratum (genus
Chlamys)), distinguished by moving in water by rapidly clapping together their
pair of fluted shell valves. “Scallop”
is used of other molluscs (including certain clams and oysters) and for
commercial purposes, all (in the broad) are classed with the “saltwater
shellfish”.
(2) The edible
adductor muscle of certain species of such mollusks, widely used in cooking (in
some places sold as “sea scallops” to distinguish use of “scallop” from other
dishes (made usually with thinly sliced meat)).
(3) Either
of the shell valves of such a mollusk, usually having radial ribs and a wavy
outer edge (often used decoratively).
(4) A
scallop shell re-purposed as a receptacle in which food (usually seafood) is
served (and often baked).
(5) In cooking,
a thin slice of meat, either so cut or something thicker “flattened” by pounding
with a “meat tenderizer”, mallet or similar implement.
(6) Any of
a series of curved projections (classically as multiple, symmetrical crescents)
cut along the edge, used in sewing, knitting & crochet of necklines and
other hems and in gardening, carpentry, art, engineering and architecture, of
such shapes, used variously.
(7) In
historic use (most associated with the middle & late medieval period), the
badge of pilgrim (in the shape of a scallop shell).
(8) In
certain places, potato (variously prepared) fried in batter.
(9) In
design or construction, to finish (an edge) with scallops.
(10) In cooking,
to escallop.
(11) To
dredge for scallops to harvest (practiced by a scalloper).
1350-1400:
From the Middle English scallop &
scallop (edible bivalve mollusk), an
aphetic variant of the Old French escalope
(shell (of a nut); carapace), a variant of eschalope
(probably from the Proto-Germanic skaljô
(shell, husk, or scale), perhaps connected with the Old Norse skalpr (sheath) and the Middle Dutch schelpe (shell), from the primitive
Indo-European root skel- (to cut; to
split)). English picked up the sense
“thin slice of meat” from an association with French use in this context. The process of aphesis (in linguistics & phonetics
the loss of the initial unstressed vowel of a word) would have been gradual
(and regionally differentiated) but, over time, the initial “e-“ vanished, “escalope” becoming “scallop”. The use generally of shapes (clothing,
architecture, garden beds) began to appear in documents in the seventeenth
century although the shell (especially the larger and more colourful) clearly
had for centuries been used domestically (they were nature’s pre-made serving
dish) and contents (not always seafood) often were baked “in the shell”,
cookbooks dated as early as 1737 detailing the methods, extending the term to
describing the “decorative scalloping” used at the edges of the pastry atop
pies and slices. Before that use, “escallop” (in the sense both of “scallop
shell” and “edge or border (of fabric) cut in the shape of scallops” had
appeared in the late fifteenth century with the verb escalloped (having the
border or edge cut out in scallops) appearing at much the same time. The now less common
alternative spelling was scallop (still seen in the UK) and the adjectival
forms scallopesque, scallopish & scalloplike are non-standard. Scallop is a noun & verb, scalloper is a
noun, scalloping is a noun & verb, scalloped is a verb & adjective and
scallopwise is an adverb; the noun plural is scallops.
Australian
culture: The potato scallop (or “cake” or “fritter”).
In the barbarian nation of
Australia, the potato scallop is a prized delicacy but while the methods of
preparation and final appearance vary little from coast-to-coast, the warring
tribes cannot agree on the name.
Unfortunately, use doesn’t precisely align with the state &
territory boundaries but, as a general principle, it’s (1) Potato Scallop (New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory),
Queensland and Western Australia, (2) Potato
Cake (Victoria, Tasmania and most of the Northern Territory or (3) Potato Fritter (South Australia). The use of “cake” and “fritter” is based on
the use of those words for other dishes of a similar shape while the consensus
among the “scallop faction” seems to be the name as an allusion to the “thin
slice” rather than the shellfish definition and that does make sense because a
potato scallop is several times the size of a typical scallop and thus
dimensionally closer to the meat concoction.
Historians of food attribute the regional difference in terminology to
the various terms been imported from England (where the spelling scallop was
also used, the spelling influenced by certain regional pronunciations),
sometime during colonial or post-colonial settlement of the continent, all the
forms appearing in the British Isles at some time (although “smack” &
“fairy chip” either never made the trip or didn’t survive). In the UK, also documented is the use to
describe a sautéed potato (a shallow-fried round potato slice).
Scalloped
potatoes: These are different from a “potato scallop” in being thinly sliced
potatoes, baked in a dish with a cheesy sauce; it's a winter favorite.
Whatever
the nomenclature, the potato scallop is a classic example of “fast food”
because it contains the elements (fat, salt, sugar) humans, their relatives and
ancestors for millions of years stalked savannahs or jungles to hunt and
harvest. In developed nations, such
substances are of course now available 24/7 “off the shelf” and a slice of
potato dipped in batter and deep-fried until a golden-brown is not recommended
by dieticians for frequent consumption but, for purposes of record, a “perfect
scallop” is crisp on the outside with a fluffy interior the consistency of
mashed potato. The reliable Australian Food Timeline notes the long presence of this delicacy, including one recipe
published in a Queensland newspaper in 1905: “Boil two pounds of potatoes, dry well, and
pound in a mortar, adding three ounces of butter, half-a-gill of cream or
melted butter sauce, and seasoning of pepper, salt and nutmeg. When quite
smooth, butter some scallop shells, put in a teaspoonful of mixture, brush over
with egg, and bake till brown; serve with watercress.” Whether the side-dish of watercress would
much mollify the dieticians is dubious but customers seem unconcerned, the item
to this day a fixture on the menu-boards of fast food outlets and one that has
withstood the onslaught of Burger King (Hungry Jacks in Australia), McDonalds,
sushi, falafels and other international invaders. While there may sometimes be differences in
the products, these are as likely to happen within as between the regional
factions. For those who which to get a
flavor of Australian culture, there’s a Potato Cake Appreciation Society run
out of “cake stronghold” Victoria.
Saint James
scallop shell necklaces.
The scallop shell was a symbol of Saint James the Great,
worn or carried by pilgrims who had travelled to his shrine in Santiago de
Compostela in Galicia, Spain, where his remains are believed to lie. James the Great was one of the Twelve
Apostles of Jesus and, in the New Testament, it’s asserted that when beheaded, (circa
44 AD), he was the second apostle to die (after the notorious Judas Iscariot)
and the first to be martyred, pilgrims adopting the scallop shell because of
its connection to maritime legends surrounding the saint's remains and its
abundance along the Galician coast. The concave
shape also made them a practical thing to have during pilgrimages (handy utensils
and cups) and scallops came often to be carved into baptistries or on baptismal
fonts with shells (now not always genuine) used by priests to pour holy water
on a child, initiating a new soul on a pilgrimage toward heaven. According to legend, after James was
martyred, his decapitated body was cast adrift in an unattended, rudderless
boat, guided by angels to Iria Flavia in Hispania, where, on a shoreline
covered with scallop shells, a large rock closed around his body. There are variants of the tale but that’s the
most popular. Symbolically, the shell’s distinct
lines (radiating outward) were said to represent the many different roads and
paths across Europe converging on the single sacred destination at Santiago de
Compostela. The other practical value in
the object was as a “proof of pilgrimage”, pilgrims gathering the shells from the
sands at Cape Finisterre as tangible evidence they had completed the journey to
the saint's shrine.
The
logo of
the Roman Catholic parish of Mary, Queen of Martyrs in Carver, Massachusetts
was built with a central scallop, the crosses representing the three churches (Our
Lady of Lourdes, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha & Saint Peter).
The parish provides an explanation of the
scallop’s place in Christian
iconography, noting the role as a “guide for
pilgrims” (it takes an imaginative leap) on the path to their destination and
the symbolic value of “
authentication of completion of task”.
Historically, for pilgrims in the
medieval
era, the journey often was undertaken to fulfil a penance given by a priest and
to verify compliance there was no other way but to make the trek and then
collect a souvenir to show at mass so the priest world “tick the dutiful penitent
off the list”.
However, commerce rose to
the occasion and by the twelfth century traders had identified a lucrative
market, selling shells from what would now be called “pop-up” stalls near
cathedrals and churches.
It was from the
tradition of Saint James the Great that the scallop came to be associated
generally with the notion of pilgrimage, extended ultimately to the Christian’s
earthly journey to heaven evoking the Letter to the Hebrews in which it was
written: “
These
all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar
off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they
were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:13; King
James Version of the Bible (KJV, 1611)).
Shell Oil’s
logos: Greta Thunberg (b 2003) disapproves of all.
Shell’s
current logo dates from 1971 and was a revision by French born US designer
Raymond Loewy (1893–1986) whose work spanned a remarkable number of sectors in
the era of mid-century modernism, extending from corporate logos, Studebaker’s post-war automobiles, the Coca-Cola bottle & vending machines, locomotives
and farm equipment; he had quite a portfolio.
For the company, a shell was always in the branding but the first image
was pure “generic shellfish” and not until 1904 did something recognizably “a
scallop” appear. Unlike the use in
Christianity, the logo of Shell Oil is wholly secular. In 1833, an enterprising trader set up in
London an import company to sell seashells to collectors and it stayed a family
business, the product-mix shifting when a scion (Marcus Samuel, later Lord Bearsted;
1853–1927), sent in 1892 to the Caspian Sea to collect saleable specimens,
realized there was potential in exporting the “lamp oil” that bubbled from the
ground. Accordingly, the company
commissioned the world’s first purpose-built oil tanker (naming it the SS Murex,
from the Latin where it described a type of shellfish with a highly sculptured,
elongated shell with distinctive spines or fronds) to enter the market; by
1907, the company had a fleet and “the age of oil” had begun. The origin of the Latin murex is murky. Etymologists
suspect it may be from mūs (mouse),
source of mūsculus (saltwater mussel)
but, along with the Ancient Greek μύαξ (múax)
(sea mussel) it may be from a Mediterranean substrate language. So, what was once the Shell Transport and
Trading Company became famous as “Shell Oil” although the corporate identity
has over the years changed; long known as “Royal Dutch Shell”, it’s currently
listed as Shell plc (publicly limited company), the word “oil” now avoided in
corporate branding by fossil fuel traders.
Scallop
theorem is from the discipline of fluid dynamics; it states that to achieve
propulsion at low Reynolds number (in physics, a dimensionless parameter that
determines the behavior of viscous flow patterns) in simple (ie Newtonian)
fluids, a swimmer must deform in a way that is not invariant under
time-reversal. Introduced in the paper Life at Low Reynolds Number (1977) by physicist
Dr Edward Mills “Ed” Purcell (1912–1997) who shared 1952 Nobel Prize in Physics, scallop theorem used math to prove that at microscopic scales (where the
Reynolds number is extremely low), a
swimmer executing a reciprocal motion (a sequence of movements identical when
played in reverse (a la a scallop opening and closing its shell)) cannot
achieve any net movement. It means in
cases where the subject’s mass is negligible compared to water's viscosity,
this method of propulsion fails. Tiny
organisms (cells, bacteria and such) cannot push water out of the way and thus
use flagella (whip-like cellular appendage) to move through water; the motion
is thus less of a “swim” (in the conventional human sense of the word” and more
of a “screw” as ship designers would understand. At these scales, viscous forces overwhelm inertial
forces, a “return stroke” perfectly cancelling the progress of a “forward
stroke”; whatever the energy expended, a “microswimmer” would be left “wiggling
in place”. The theorem ceases to operate
at the mesoscale (the range between between microscale and macroscale) because
inertia is no longer zero so the mechanical action can provide propulsion.
Dr Purcell's Scallop
Theorem explained by 632NM.
Although
examples have been cited where scallop theorem doesn’t operate in situations
where the definition suggests it should, it is accepted in orthodox science as
a foundational principle in fluid mechanics, biophysics, and
micro-hydrodynamics. The critiques discussing
the “breakdown” or “violation” of scallop theorem are not wrong but nor do they
debunk, rather they provide examples of scenarios in which the theorem’s strictly
defined mathematical constraints are bypassed, the most common example being “collective
locomotion” in which multiple reciprocal micros-swimmers interact with one
another, using their combined fields to generate movement. Of course, in non-Newtonian Fluids (mucus,
polymer solutions etc), the properties of the fluid breaks time-reversal
symmetry and the necessary frictional resistance exists for the action (to
varying degrees) to work. All these
so-call “edge cases” do is further validate the theorem by defining the exact
boundaries where the original rules operate.
Application of a different scallop theorem: Lindsay Lohan cooking scallops & crab claws on a yacht anchored off Cannes while attending the Cannes Film Festival, May, 2017.
Stone Oven Grill's Pan
Seared Scallops for two
Ingredients
10 scallops
(5 per person)
Salt to
taste
Pepper to
taste
Truffle powder
(Optional)
1 tablespoon
avocado oil
¼ stick butter (some prefer to use more)
Splash of white
wine (some prefer to use more)
Instructions
(1) Lay
scallops out on a cutting board and pat dry on both sides with paper
towels. Season all over with salt &
pepper and (optional) truffle powder.
(2) Heat
avocado oil in a large pan over medium high heat and once heated, add scallops
to pan. Work scallops in batches,
ensuring pan is never overcrowded the pan. Cook for 3 minutes per side; 30 seconds before
the first flip, add butter to the pan to begin the melt.
(3) After
flipping scallops, begin basting them with melted butter; continue basting
process for the first two minutes. While
basting need not be continuous, it must periodically be done during this time. Add white wine with 1 minute remaining and
continue to baste, removing scallops once final minute is up. Serve immediately.
Notes
Pan seared
scallops, mid sear.
With a texture unique in the world, scallops offers many
possibilities and the pan seared variety is a favorite, one of its many
attractions being needing few ingredients, simple equipment (there are “basting
spoons” available but a standard dessert spoon is serviceable) and but a few
minutes preparation time. It’s also one
of those dishes amateur chefs can create at home and emulate exactly what real
chefs so in real restaurants; it’s that simple.
Chefs do however have a few tips to prefect the process: (1) Pat scallops
dry prior to cooking. This is vital
because it will remove any excess moisture liquid that can hinder the formation
of the crust, a perfect crust being the essence of the dish. The patting process takes only a couple of
minutes: Lay them out flat and pat both sides dry with and absorbent paper
towel. (2) Pan must be hot prior to
beginning the searing. (3) Do not overcrowd
pan. While it’s tempting to fill the
whole surface area, results are much better if no scallops are touching with each given a little “room to move”.
Evening
gowns with scalloped necklines in a vibrant red by
Georges Hobeika (b 1962) from his
Spring-Summer 2017 Collection. The scalloped cut-outs framed a sheer
illusion panel, with an understated waist bow and the look worked best with a sleeveless bodice (left), the full-length sleeves and additional intricacy (right) a distraction.
Although never has the scalloped neckline defined the look of a
season, never has it vanished and even if from time-to-time seen only rarely on
the catwalk, it has remained a staple of high street fashion. In the narrow technical sense, something
qualifies as a “scalloped hem” by virtue of the shape being repeated along whatever
line is being finished but the effect is most obvious only beyond a certain
dimension. If the arc of the curves is
too small, the look can “become lost” although, paradoxically, the small scale
most closely emulates the edge of a scallop’s shell. While it shouldn’t be treated as a “rule”, as
a general principle, smaller scalloping adds refinement while a larger cut is a
“statement” or “playfulness” (depending on the garment) so it’s best to keep
intent aligned execution. What is
possible successfully to achieve is dependant also on the fabric or material
used, some scalloping demanding a degree of rigidity (such as with necklines
although heavier fabrics can be difficult to persuade into the right contour) while
other uses (like a skirt’s hem) can be more free-flowing. On an outfit that really “busy”, scalloping
can “get lost” in all the detail though that can work as a “highlight among
highlights” if well done; it not, it’s just “making a mess”. That’s why scalloping is recommended as a focal
point, existing as the sole feature to draw the eye, explaining why designers
like to add them to something sleeveless or strapless on a garment with little
other detailing, even the most delicate lace inserts tending to draw the eye.
Lindsay
Lohan in a black, off-the shoulder, floral cat-suit (with embedded crystals) from Balenciaga’s
Summer 2024 collection, Kering Foundation’s annual Caring for Women dinner, The Pool, New
York City, September 2024.
Although by
any standards a “busy” fabric, this is an example of how scalloped neckline can
work well if integrated with the whole.
Here, what the scallops did was “follow the pattern” and with the whole
ensemble (including the very pointy
knife pumps and “built-in” demi-gloves) in black, there was nothing extraneous to
disturb the line. What was clever about
this piece was that although “floral” motifs intrinsically are made from curves,
the overall effect was of straight lines (horizontal, vertical and diagonal) and that
included the “squared-off” neckline, producing a nice effect highlighting the clavicles and
bare shoulders.
1953 Aston
Martin DB3S (Works).
When applied to cars, the term “scallop” is used with a
different emphasis than with frocks and such in that what’s being referenced in
the shell’s inside, the idea being of a shell used to “scoop out” some sand
from where the sea has just receded, the lacuna creating a “scalloped” effect. The Aston Martin DB3S was the factory’s
standard competition model between 1953 and 1956 and despite being rather hastily
improvised after the DB3 (1951-1953) was found to be uncompetitive (underpowered
and too heavy), it enjoyed some success although it ran in an era when the
Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W196S) and Jaguar D-Type had been perfected so
championship trophies proved elusive. The
performance was however competitive and it was tough and reliable; as well as
the eleven built for the factory’s team, a further 20 were sold to private
teams and like the Maserati 250F, it enjoyed around the world a long career,
running near the front even after obsolescent.
1953 Aston
Martin DB3S front brake and scallop.
The holes were one
of the many ways attempts were made to reduce temperatures (and thus “brake
fade”) when using drum brakes; it was a lost cause, the answer being
disc
brakes.
The distinctive scallops in the “pontoon” front fenders were functional
in being the most effective way to provide much-need cooling for the big Al-Fin
aluminum, finned drum brakes. Although
the works cars quickly would adopt the vastly superior Girling disc brakes, right
to the end of production these were an expensive option on the “customer” cars;
tellingly, in the decades since, many such DB3s were upgraded to discs (some on
all four wheels but most with a front disc-rear drum combination. Although ducts to deliver cold air to brakes
had long been common, the scallops were a most effective way to evacuate the
hot air although, in one of those trade-offs familiar in engineering, the shape
did at high-speed induce some unwanted handling characteristics, an experience
many manufacturers would suffer in an age before prior testing in wind-tunnels
became de rigueur and computers on which to run simulations were far in the
future. The DB3S was replaced by the
DBR1 which used a form of brake cooling that didn’t so affect the aerodynamics
and it proved effective, winning the 1958 World Sports Car Championship
including a prized victory in the Le Mans 24 Hour endurance classic.
1958
Ferrari 250 TR.
With the standardization of disc brakes, Aston Martin didn’t
carry over the DB3S’s deeply scalloped pontoon fenders but in 1958 they
appeared on updated versions of the Ferrari 250 TR (Testa Rossa (literally “red
head”, an allusion to the color of the cam covers), 1957-1961). Although the looks and “end of an era” vibe have
made the 250 GTO (1962-1964) the most prized (and expensive) vintage Ferrari, on
the circuits, the 250 TR was much more successful, three times winning Le Mans (the
final variant in 1962 the last front-engined car to win the event) and the World
Sports Car Championship constructor's title.
The scallops were used on the 250 TR for the same reason Aston Martin
fitted them: cooling the drum brakes.
Ferrari’s reluctance to adopt disc brakes will seem strange because by
1957 the technology was well proven; while the early disc system were sometimes
noisy and pedal pressures could be high, they were effective, stopping
distances shorter and fade less prevalent.
However, because Ferrari’s focus was on longer-distance events rather
than sprint races, virtues like reliability and robustness were afforded a premium
and it was true there were advantages, the linings in drums wearing consistently
unlike the pads on discs that suddenly could lose efficiency; additionally, the
hard linings of a drum brake’s shoes lasting longer than the pads of the era,
meaning it often was possible to complete an event without a lining
change. None of that much convinced the
drivers who wanted better brakes and the technology anyway continued to evolve,
improvements by Girling meaning Aston Martin’s pit crews were by 1958 able to
effect a brake-pad change in some 45 seconds, less time than it then took to
re-fuel. In 1959, Ferrari accepted
reality had bitten and disc brakes became a standard fitting on all 250 TRs. One quirk of the production history is that
of the 33 250 TRs built, the 19 allocated had either the scalloped “pontoon
fenders” or an enveloping front section while the 14 sold to private customers
were all “scalloped”.
1958
Lincoln Continental Mark III Convertible.
Despite the
coincidence in the timing, it can with certainty be said neither the Aston
Martin nor the Ferrari in any way influenced Lincoln’s designers, despite
distinctive “scalloped” front fenders appearing on the 1958 Lincoln Continental
Mark III, a vehicle that was a remarkable change from the restrained elegance of
the (highly unprofitable) Continental Mark II (1956-1957). Although eye-catching, the Lincoln’s scallops
probably don’t make as much of an impression as they might because they have to
compete for attention with other “highlights” of the styling including dagmars,
slanted headlights in hoods, fins, rear fender skirts, skegs and a
reverse-angle rear window; it was quite a gallimaufry, assembled in a package
measuring 229 inches (5,817 mm) bumper-to-bumper.
Model
Adriana Fenice (b 1994) in
pink stretch top with scoop neckline.
In fashion, the “scoop” neckline uses a “scalloping”
effect analogous with the use by Aston Martin, Ferrari and Lincoln, the industry
jargon having separate terms to avoid confusion between a “scooped” and “scalloped”
neckline. Technically, the Mark III was
conventional (just scaled-up) but it’s of note because at the time it was the
largest passenger vehicle ever built using unitary construction (ie no separate
chassis); it still is. While a notable achievement
in pre-modern body engineering, so much internal strengthening was required
(especially for the convertible) that weight could be between 5,000–5,700 lb
(2,300–2,600 kg), out-weighing even a modern EV (electric vehicle) like the Tesla
Model S (2012-2026) that weighed in between 4,300–5,000 lb (1,950-2,270 kg) and
the Lincoln didn’t have the excuse of carrying a big battery weighing 1,000-1377
lb (454-625 kg)). The Lincoln also had
drum brakes that, like the Ferraris, sometime fought an unequal battle with the
physics of inertia. The look really was “too
much” (the “moment” for such things quickly passed) and was toned-down for 1959
& 1960 although what’s often forgotten is the 1958 range out-sold the 1961
version, the latter now regarded as a classic.
However, while the 1958-1960 body was a cul-de-sac, the 1961 Lincoln Continental
endured for the rest of the decade and influenced the industry in a way (and to
an extent) the earlier cars never did.
What happened in 1958 proved an outlier with scallops since only hinted
at.
