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3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the scallops. Sauté for 10 to 12 minutes, turning the scallops with tongs to make sure all sides are browning.

4. Transfer the scallops to a baking sheet and broil for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.

scallop ceviche

SERVES 6 TO 8

When I developed this recipe, there were many arguments among the tasters, otherwise known as my friends, about whether or not it was too spicy. Some people liked the kick and others did not. I like it spicy, but if you want less heat, lay off the chiles: use one chile instead of two. Serve the ceviche with tortilla chips for a play on texture. I recommend using aquacultured bay scallops for this dish as they are grown and harvested sustainably. Bay scallops are in season from October to January. It’s also perfectly acceptable to buy frozen scallops and defrost them; the dish will be just as successful.

1

pound bay scallops, quartered

1

cup (about 12 whole) cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped

2

green or red serrano chiles, seeded and minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)

3/4

cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus additional for garnish

1

cup finely diced red onion (1/2 medium red onion)

1

cup fresh orange juice

1/3

cup fresh lemon juice

1/3

cup fresh lime juice

Salt to taste

3

tablespoons finely shredded unsweetened coconut flakes

1. Combine all the ingredients in a nonreactive bowl and stir to mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to 16.

2. Spoon the ceviche into small (4-ounce) glasses and garnish with cilantro.

* * *

COOK’S NOTE: Just what is a nonreactive bowl anyway? A nonreactive bowl is made from a nonreactive material, such as glaze-free ceramics, glass, stainless steel, or plastic (but we are trying to retire our plastics, right, unless made from recycled plastic). Reactive materials are aluminum and unlined copper, which react to foods with high acid content, like tomatoes. Have you ever wrapped a tomato in aluminum foil and looked at it the next day? The acid burns right through the aluminum, which gives the tomato a metallic taste. (It’s best not to try leaving tomatoes in one of your good copper bowls.)

* * *

pan-fried sake shrimp

SERVES 6

This is one of my favorite recipes. The flavors of the cooked sake, garlic, soy sauce, and ginger blend together perfectly. It is important to have some crusty country bread to soak up all the juices—your guests will fight each other for the last heel of bread in order to do this.

Shrimp are generally not overfished because they grow quickly and have a short lifespan. The problem with shrimp fishing is that there is a tendency to trawl up other marine wildlife in shrimp nets. So your most sustainable choice will almost always be U.S. farmed shrimp, with the exception of wild-caught Key West and Oregon pink shrimp. Imported shrimp rank very poorly in terms of sustainability.

2

tablespoons vegetable oil

2

teaspoons minced garlic

2

teaspoons minced ginger

1

teaspoon red pepper flakes

12

Key West pink shrimp with tails on, deveined

1/3

cup sake

2

teaspoons soy sauce

2

teaspoons unsalted butter Salt and pepper to taste

1

tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Crusty bread for serving

1. Heat the oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and stir for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp begin to curl. Add the sake and soy sauce and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and turn off the heat.

2. Serve the shrimp with mini-skewers and bread on the side.

thai fish medallions with cucumber relish

SERVES 6

While living in Paris in my early twenties, I had a Belgian boyfriend. We often visited his father and stepmother in Brussels, and it was there that I learned how to cook these fish cakes. My boyfriend’s stepmother, Kathy Zaccai, is half Thai and she is an amazing cook. I