Dried Scallops (Conpoy) – A Guide

Dried Scallops (乾貝) , also known as ‘Conpoy’, are a much prized ingredient in Chinese cuisine. As with many dried products, the drying process really intensifies the flavors and the normal, savory sweetness of fresh Scallops is super-magnified in the dried variety, making them genuine umami bombs. They require a little preparation before use (unless you like simply snacking on them), but the process isn’t terribly difficult, and they are a terrific ingredient to have on hand.

Chinese Dried Scallops (乾貝) when properly dried and stored have a pungently strong marina aroma that is not unlike Dried Shrimp. As for the taste, it is almost impossible to describe the flavor of Conpoy to those who have not tried the fresh variety, but, for those who have, imagine the sweetness and umami marine flavors of fresh scallops increased by a whole order of magnitude.

In any event, if you have purchased some, you will find that intensity of the flesh is remarkable and it is a great (albeit expensive) treat to eat them dry, like little nuggets of seafood jerky. Once prepared and cooked, though, the flesh of the conpoy still retains a lovely rich sweetness and just a small amount will add considerable depth to all sorts of recipes.

Here you can see a variety different sizes of Conpoy in a close-up view. The largest ones seen here are dried Sea Scallops, about an inch across in greatest diameter. You can find ones that are even larger than this, but they tend to be very expensive indeed. The larger ones are rarely used whole in dishes and tend, instead, to be shredded The smaller ones, which are almost always dried Bay Scallops, are useful when used whole in soups and the like, and are relatively cheap. The Medium sized 乾貝, generally small Sea Scallops, tend to be the most versatile and may be used both whole and shredded.

Some dried scallops can be very dry while others, particularly the smaller ones, can have a much higher moisture content and possess a supple springiness to their texture. All are quite fibrous, and this is easily seen in the larger types.

When buying, look for Conpoy which are lighter in shade (the two types in the middle of the above picture illustrate this the best), and make sure they are not too hard or overly brittle. If you can find them for sale in bulk, rather than packaged, purchase those that have a good strong sweet marine smell, and avoid anything that has hints of ammonia in the aroma.

Once purchased, Chinese Dried Scallops (乾貝) will keep remarkably well. You can actually keep them in any cool, dark place, such as a cupboard, especially the drier ones, but I keep mine in the refrigerator. In either case, make sure you keep your precious conpoy in a tightly covered container to keep them away from the air and any ambient moisture. I have actually had some of mine keep pretty decently for several years but, as with anything, the taste will begin to fade over time. As a general rule, it is best to use any Conpoy you purchase within a year.

Chinese Dried Scallops (乾貝) can actually be used whole, and without soaking, if using them in recipes for ‘wet’ dishes’ like soups, or stews. In other cases, though, you simply need to just cover the conpoy with hot water and leave until softened. The length of time will vary depending on size and initial dryness, but anywhere from about 30 minutes to an hour or two will usually suffice. Once softened, the flesh can then be shredded into thin fibers as you see above.

By the way, after your Conpoy are soft, make sure to retain the soaking water as it will be highly flavored and can be added to whatever you are cooking, It can used immediately to give additional depth to the same dish to which the soaked conpoy are going to be added (it is lovely for sauces), or else it can be reserved and then used in other recipes, especially soups or stocks.

On a final note as regards preparation, I find that simple soaking is all that is necessary for preparing conpoy, (even the larger varieties), but many recipes suggest that they be steamed before use, either with, or without a preliminary soaking. Sometimes, a little rice wine is added to soaking/steaming water, and I have also even seen recipes that called for the scallops to be completely covered with nothing but rice wine before steaming. This rather strikes me as being a bit of overkill actually, but in either event, as with simple soaking, you will also want to reserve the liquid for culinary use once the scallops have softened.

Dried Scallops can be added to both soups and stews, but they also can be used to add depth to stocks. This is true for almost any sort of stock, but it is a frequent practice with the special type known as a Chinese Master Sauce.

One of the nicest ways to experience the flavor and versatility of Conpoy for the first time is to shred the prepared flesh into plain rice (using the soaking liquid as part of the cooking medium, of course). Similarly, the shreds from just a few medium size dried scallops can also be used to add wonderful notes of interest to an otherwise plain dish of noodles.

Dried Scallops can add a lift to the blandest of everyday dishes, including plain old scrambled eggs.

Conpoy are sometimes mixed with ground pork for use as a dumpling filling, or, as seen above, to make meatballs to be used in other recipes.

Finally, Dried Scallops compliment many vegetables. Above stir-fried Bok Choy has shreds of Conpoy added as an additional layer of flavor.