Asian Style Scallop Ceviche

     I love shellfish. Lobster, crab, oysters - the whole lot. But I especially love scallops. Seared scallops are great, but like oysters, they are also really good raw. When buying scallops, it's always preferrable to get them at a fish market rather than a supermarket because generally the ones you'll find will be of a higher quality. When serving scallops raw or rare it's important to get the freshest possible product. Often fresh scallops are pumped with water and preservatives, or might have been previously frozen. To avoid this, ask your fishmonger for "fresh, dry scallops."
       This recipe is a "fusion" of two culionary styles.  It takes as its starting point the classic South American dish ceviche, and adds in some Asian flavours. Ceviche can be any seafood that is marinated in citrus juice and chilies. The acid from the citrus will "cook" the scallops without any heat. The Asian influence come from the addition of sesame oil, pickled ginger and soy sauce. I garnish the ceviche with a generous helping of seaweed salad. Seaweed salad can be found in most Asian markets, but is also becomimg more common at regular supermarkets. If you cannot find any, simply garmish the dish with a few sprigs of cilantro instead.

Ingredients:
800g   fresh scallops
 50g    Pickled ginger
   1      chili pepper
200g   seaweed salad
  2 tbs sesame oil
  3       limes, juiced
  2 tps olive oil
           salt & pepper

Start to finish: 30 minutes, serves 4



1. Finely chop the chili and the pickled ginger and combine with the lime juice, olive oil, sesame oil and soy sauce.

2. Thinly slice the scallops and cover with the marinade. Refrigerate the marinated scallops for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes you will notice that the lime juice in the marinade has cooked the scallops. The longer you leave the scallops in the marinade, the more they will cook. I like the scallops to still be a bit raw when I serve them, but if you like you can leave the scallops even longer to get more of a cooked texture.

To serve:
1. Spread the marinated scallops evenly across the center of four plates.
2. Place a pile of seaweed salad in the center of each plate.
3. Drizzle over top some of the remaining marinade. Serve with chopsticks.