Asian-Inspired Sea Scallop Ceviche

Serves 4 or more

This dish was created in view of one of the larger east coast commercial scallop fisheries at Viking Village in Barnegat Light. It highlights the freshness and sweetness of our region’s beautiful local shellfish.

Ingredients:

12 sea scallops, trimmed and cut in rough, large dice, with each scallop yielding about 8 chunks

Juice of 4 fresh limes (about 1/3 cup fresh juice)

1 Tbsp. “toasted” sesame oil

½ small jalapeño pepper, trimmed, seeded, and minced

1 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, minced

2 Tbsp. red onion, minced

2 tsp. soy sauce

2⁄3 cup fresh pineapple, diced small

1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves, chopped

To Make:

Prepare all the ingredients. Mix everything together in a non-reactive bowl. Refrigerate at least one hour (and up to four hours) before serving. During this time, the acid from the limes cooks the scallops while the flavors develop and meld. If you plan to serve the dish in four hours, hold the cilantro and the mint, adding just before serving, to keep the herbs green and fresh.

To Serve:

Serve with roasted vegetable or tortilla chips for a crunchy contrast. Divvy into four small dishes with a chip garnish and/or serve in one large dish with chips alongside. (We also like using roasted root veggie chips with this ceviche.)