I don’t tend to make fancy food much and because scallops are pricey, they count as fancy in my book. However, after a trip to the Maritimes last summer where I tried scallops for the very first time, I just couldn’t get them out of my head. When it came to making a nice celebratory dinner, I figured scallops were worth the splurge.
I didn’t want a recipe that was too heavy with butter or cream, so I decided to make a twist on ceviche. Ceviches usually rely on lemon or lime juice to cook the raw fish, but a recipe found in Gourmet for a grilled scallop ceviche sounded ideal. And it was. It’s full of bright, citrus flavours and the cucumber here is very refreshing against the jalapeño heat. It’s the kind of meal you’d want to eat lots of in the summer, you know, in between your yacht sailings and Prada shopping sprees. And while this meal feels fancy, it’s actually not such a big spend. The recipe only uses 8 large sea scallops and when you think about the cost of eating out, a nice meal in with a bottle of wine is pretty affordable (but go on and strap on some heels for the occasion).
Tip: Are you starting from frozen scallops? Use the cold water method to defrost rather than slowly defrosting in the fridge. Put your scallops into a ziplock bag, place bag into a bowl and slowly run cold water from your tap over the scallops until they thaw. Depending on the size of your seafood, this could take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. This way results in very fresh tasting scallops and this way your seafood doesn’t get swamped with water. This quick thaw method works well for shrimp as well.
grilled scallop ceviche
(recipe adapted from Gourmet)
6-8 large sea scallops
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 small orange
2 T fresh lime juice
3/4 English cucumber, seeded and diced
1/4 of a red onion, finely diced
1-2 jalapeños, seeds removed, minced1. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper and brush lightly with a bit of olive oil before adding them to a hot grill pan. Grill until marks appear (about 1-2 minutes) and flip repeating the process. Scallops don’t need to be fully cooked as they will fully cook in the lime juice later. Remove from pan immediately and set aside to cool.
2. Cut away the peel from the orange using a sharp paring knife. Cut segments free from their membranes and then dice. Add oranges, cucumber, red onion, jalapeños and any remaining orange juice into a medium sized bowl.
3. If your scallops are large & you want to be thrifty like me, slice the scallops in half on their sides so that 1 scallop is now 2 coin-shaped scallops (rather than cutting them in half width wise). Add the scallops to the bowl and squeeze lime juice over everything. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top and gently toss. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
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Yum! Yum! Yum! I've been waiting for this post. This looks incredible. Fresh, simple ingredients, big on flavour. I'm going to bookmark this for later when I can splurge on both scallops and a bottle of wine….hmm, perhaps a celebratory meal for when I get a job 🙂
Looks like a perfect recipe. And scallops aren't that expensive are they?
Scallops are such a treat! I love the idea of getting ceviche-like flavors with a cooked dish — for some reason I am really sqeamo about making ceviche, though I'd love to overcome that fear, too.
I love ceviche. I had some great ceviche in Brazil several years and haven;t had it since. I'm thinking I might want some now…. : )
Ummmm can you say YUUUUUMM?? That looks so amazing. Anything containing scallops is absolutely delicious!
P.S. I'm having my first giveaway if you'd like to pop by and check it out:)
Sounds delicious! By the way, I just noticed that you've got a link to Lena Corwin's site. She just did a photoshoot at my friends' apartment in Brooklyn (images with the little black dog.) Small world!
SCRUMPTIOUS! Now to make up a special day to make this yummer dish! thank you!!
oooh thanks so much! This sounds fabulous. I make fish ceviche often in the summer and love scallops but never thought of putting them together! yummmmmy.
So glad to see you working with scallops! I am a huge fan of them (and heels on certain occasions). This dish look wonderful, and is a lovely prelude to Spring.
My dad makes a wonderful appetizer of a lightly grilled sea scallop on a shiso leaf with a drizzle of spicy fish oil. It seems like it would be up your alley…
Word up, lady!
ok…I have to stop reading your posts in the middle of the night…I am now crazy hungry for scallops…great photos, they make my mouth water and I am really enjoying your recipes and your love of food comes through in your writing.
Love it! We get great scallops from our farmer's market, and I'm always looking for new ways to use them.
Sounds lovely! I love the ceviche idea, the spicy must play wonderfully with the sweet of the scallops. One night my boyfriend will be eating pasta while I make this for myself!
Wow, This looks great… and I have been meaning to cook more with scallops…this is right up my alley. What a nice starter salad, or main meal in the summer!
Dave, thanks! And no, I don't think they're that expensive after all.
Bijoux, it's so big on flavour. Yum! Here's hoping you'll find a reason to celebrate soon!
Nervous, I know what you mean. I like traditional ceviche but making it myself, I thought I'd be doubly sure!
Justine, yes, try it out. It's a good taste to go back to.
Thanks Ashley! I'll check out your blog.
La vie Cerise, I knew you knew all the cool people!
Jasmine, I think maybe today could be that special day!
modernmaam, I've never had the two together either, but it worked beautifully.
Thanks Elliott! I'm a newbie, but I think I picked a winner! Your dad's appetizer sounds wonderful.
Thanks so much Three Owls 🙂
Maggie, I'll have to pay attention to your blog a bit more because I've got some scallops in the freezer and I'm looking for more inspiration.
Liz, I'm sure you could convert your bf to liking scallops too! If not, more for you!
Thanks Hag, it was quite fantastic.
I love that the scallops are grilled in this. Acid cooked seafood always makes me a tad nervous. Is it OK to fix this salad even if I don't go yachting?
mmmmmmmmmm scallops! that looks so delicious! thanks for sharing!
This recipe has my mouth watering! I love scallops! It is perfect for the greatly anticipated first perfect days of Spring when you begin to notice the days are longer and warmer. Eating this meal outside on a patio with friends while wearing heels and some wine sounds like a wonderful way to share a meal. Thank you.
oh this sounds delicious – i'm going to try to make this soon!!
Lynn, the yachting is optional here 😉
Thanks sweet komal!
Totally Leslie, this is a recipe that will be repeated outdoors for sure.
Radish, it's pretty perfect. I hope you do give it a try.
I made this a week ago, and it was really tasty. I cut my scallops into even smaller pieces after grilling ( they were huge) so that they could be more easily “cooked” by the lime juice. I will make this again!