Hi Y’all,
So the last trip to Ventana Campground in Big Sur included a new campsite and a fabulous new recipe . . . Sea Scallop Carpaccio, courtesy of David Tanis of the New York Times. I swung by Pier 46 Seafood in Templeton on the way up from Santa Barbara and got the sushi grade sea scallops. It’s THE best fish market on the central coast, unless you’re a fisherman with a boat. I know a couple of divers, including Lindsey Moran, the writer, illustrator, and designer of our cookbook, who say the only way to eat scallops raw is to dive down and eat them in their habitat. Well, I doubt that’s going to happen for me anytime soon, so I’ll just say to try this recipe with the freshest sea scallops you can find and you won’t be disappointed!
Ingredients:
1 large shallot, peeled and sliced thin crosswise
Flaky sea salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 pound large sea scallops
8 ounces small cherry tomatoes, halved
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon capers
Handful of basil leaves (I used mint)
1 large lime, halved
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Directions: Put sliced scallops in a small bowl and sprinkle with salt. Add vinegar and mix. With a sharp knife, slice each scallop crosswise into very thin slices. Put slices on a plate in a circular pattern and arrange cherry tomatoes around them. Sprinkle scallop and tomatoes with salt, to taste, and few pepper flakes, capers, and the pickled shallot. Garnish with torn basil leaves and squeeze lime and generous drizzle of olive oil over the whole concoction. Enjoy! If you try this on your own, we’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions in the comments below!
