Cheat Sheet to Bright, Herbaceous Crudo Sauce
It’s Wednesday and we get it—you don’t feel like cooking.
In the words of my Brooklyn neighbors, fuhgeddabout it. Tonight you deserve a night off, but that does NOT have to mean Chinese takeout, unless that’s how you celebrate the New Year, which if that’s the case, gong hei fat choy, motherf**ker.
No, you’re better than that. Pick up some fresh fish. Yes, fish. Yes, you can afford it, if you feel like it and buy smart. We saw a small container of plump, succulent scallops at our local fish market yesterday and we just had to have them. A $12 should feed two generously (especially when you add tortilla chips or another crunchy element for scooping. If you’re on a budget or “not a scallop person” (who are you), you can opt for fresh shrimp.
The beauty of this recipe is that it requires no “cooking.” No heat. Rather than searing these babies in oil and making your apartment reek of fish, this is clean, straightforward prep and eating. It’s also flexible. Sub in the green sauce for a tomato broth, or keep it extra simple with just lemon juice and olive oil. All you need is one acidic element. Here’s how we made this bright green sauce (we cheated).
Ingredients:
-1/2 fresh green bell pepper, finely diced
-1 jalapeno, finely diced
-juice of 1 lemon
-a splash of rice vinegar
-1-2 lbs. fresh bay scallops
-a splash of extra virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon of store bought spinach pesto or chimichurri, or you can make your own
-Maldon sea salt
Method:
In a small mixing bowl, combine peppers, lemon juice and rice vinegar. Whisk together, set aside to gently “pickle”.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels. With a sharp chefs knife, slice scallops into 1/4” thick rounds and place on baking sheet to absorb some of the fishy moisture.
Return to your sauce after 15 minutes. Add olive oil and pesto to thicken. Salt to taste.
Plate scallops on your favorite dish for serving seafood. Spoon sauce over fish and serve with tortilla chips.
