Fresh

Thanks to contactmusic.com for the image

There’s a bag of asparagus in my freezer and an article I found here and it’s Monday? Nope, oops it’s Tuesday, what! Already? Where did Monday go? anyways, I just can’t stop myself from doing this. Spears, get it? Right! I knew you would.

Scallops and asparagus with ponzu

Thanks to San Diego Restaurant Reviews for this image

Thanks to The Independant for this recipe

Serves 4

It almost seems a shame to cook freshly dived and shucked scallops. When they are served raw, scallops can be every bit as good as oysters, and they make a perfect Japanese starter with slightly crunchy and thinly sliced, blanched asparagus spears.

You can get many different varities of ponzu, which is a citrus-based condiment, in Asian and Japanese food shops, as well as in some of the better supermarkets.

4 large or 8 medium scallops, freshly shucked and cleaned
8-12 asparagus spears, trimmed of their woody stalks
Sea salt
1tbsp chopped chives
2tbsp ponzu

Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes keeping them crunchy then drain and refresh under cold water for 20-30 seconds to stop them cooking any longer. Thinly slice the scallops and cut the asparagus as thinly as possible on the angle leaving the tips intact.

Arrange the scallops and asparagus on serving plates and sprinkle with a little sea salt then drizzle over the ponzu and scatter with chives and serve immediately.

Ponzu Dipping Sauce

Thanks to Lannae’s Food and Travel for this image

Thanks to about.com for this recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup dashi

Preparation:

Prepare dashi stock. Mix soy sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, and dashi in a bowl.
*Makes 1 cup.

Posted on April 15th, 2008 by Ruth
Filed under: Seafood, Vegetables