Cucumber Salad With Scallops

Name: Cucumber Salad With Scallops
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: mediterranean
Ingredients: 4 medium cucumbers, at least 2 pounds; Salt; 2 tablespoons fish sauce; Juice of 2 limes; 1 small clove garlic, very finely minced; 1 small chili, finely minced, or to taste ( 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes is a good substitute); 1 tablespoon minced lemon grass; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 6 cups mixed salad greens; 1 to 1 1/2 pounds sea scallops; 1 tablespoon neutral oil, like canola; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne; 1/2 cup chopped mint, cilantro, basil or a combination; 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

By Mark Bittman

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4(10)
Notes: Read community notes

Featured in: The Minimalist; How Salting Cucumbers Works Magic in a Dish

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

4medium cucumbers, at least 2 pounds
Salt
2tablespoons fish sauce
Juice of 2 limes
1small clove garlic, very finely minced
1small chili, finely minced, or to taste ( ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes is a good substitute)
1tablespoon minced lemon grass
½teaspoon sugar
6cups mixed salad greens
1 to 1½pounds sea scallops
1tablespoon neutral oil, like canola
⅛teaspoon cayenne
½cup chopped mint, cilantro, basil or a combination
2teaspoons dark sesame oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Peel cucumbers if they have been waxed, then trim their ends and cut them in half the long way. Scoop out seeds with a teaspoon. Sprinkle each half with about ¼ teaspoon of salt, then place them in a colander. Let drain for about 30 minutes. Rinse lightly, and drain again. Cut into ⅛-to- ¼-inch-thick slices and place in a bowl.
Step 2
Mix together the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, chili, lemon grass and sugar. Thin with a tablespoon of water. Taste, and add more of any flavoring you wish. Toss dressing with cucumbers, and set aside.
Step 3
Place greens on a large platter. Put a large nonstick skillet over high heat. In a bowl, toss scallops with oil, then sprinkle them with salt and cayenne. When skillet begins to smoke, add scallops one at a time; do not crowd them. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, turning as they brown; depending on their size, cook for 1 to 3 minutes on the second side. (Scallops are best when their interior is slightly underdone; cut into one to check it.)
Step 4
Toss cucumbers with most of the herbs, and spoon them and the dressing over the greens. Top with the scallops. Drizzle with sesame oil, and top with remaining herbs. Serve immediately.

Ratings

4 out of 5

10 user ratings

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Es1 year ago

Not that I didn't like all the flavors and components of this dish, it just didn't add up for me. The scallops tasty; the cukes as fresh as can be, and the dressing delicious, but together maybe not. Perhaps grilled shrimp would work better.

Greta5 years ago

One of my favorite simple salad recipes from Mark Bitterman. What i like is how easy it is to dress it up or keep it simple.

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