Scallop Crudo

"Most of us have enjoyed scallops seared, but to me the truly beautiful way is raw," says Sam Fertik, executive chef of Orange and Olive in Jersey City. "This simple preparation showcases this beautiful jewel of the sea."

Scallop Crudo from Orange and Olive in Jersey City.

"This recipe came to me after I traveled through Maine last fall. Seeing the lobsters and scallops come off the boats made me think that many of our guests don’t get to experience where something comes from, what it truly is, and how to best enjoy it.

"We got these beautiful live scallops, in the shell, and we shucked them ourselves. We removed the little gills, and eyes, and all the other little bits, to get to the beautiful adductor muscle that we commonly call the scallop. And that’s how I wanted to serve it."

Ingredients:

4 live scallops in the shell (Never put them in a plastic bag or in water. You will kill them. Keep them on ice, or in the refrigerator. If you can’t find them live, buy the absolute freshest you can get.)
2 oz yuzu juice
1 lemon, zest
Olive oil
1 tsp salt
Maldon sea salt to sprinkle on the scallops
1 small beet (cut into a brunoise, very small dice 1/8"x1/8"x1/8")
1 cup champagne vinegar

Method:

1. Bring champagne vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add the diced beets, turn off the heat and let stand until the liquid reaches room temperature, about an hour.

2.
Meanwhile, shuck the scallops, carefully removing the center adductor muscle. Rinse with cool water.

3. To serve, place each scallop on a small dish and season with yuzu juice, lemon zest, olive oil and the flakey Maldon sea salt. Garnish with the brunoise beets, and drizzle on some of the cooking liquid as well.

4. Serve in the cleaned shell.

[justified_image_grid exclude="featured"]
Read more Eat & Drink, Recipe Box articles.

By submitting comments you grant permission for all or part of those comments to appear in the print edition of New Jersey Monthly.

Required
Required not shown
Required not shown