Southwest-Style Scallop Ceviche Salad

Name: Southwest-Style Scallop Ceviche Salad
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 head green-leaf lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried, small inner leaves reserved for future use; 4 ears cooked fresh corn, kernels cut from cob; 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Sea salt; 2 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced; 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed; 1 ripe avocado, sliced; 1 lime, cut in wedges; 1 1/2 pounds bay scallops, tendons removed; 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice; 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves; 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced; 1/2 small red onion, minced; Sea salt; Ground black pepper

This summer salad includes scallop ceviche and a colorful medley of tomatoes, corn, avocado, cilantro, and jalapeno.

Source: Body+Soul, July/August 2005

Servings

Ingredients

Directions

1. At least one hour before serving, place the scallops, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, red onion, and salt and pepper as desired in a medium bowl. Stir to combine ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
2. On a large serving platter, place large lettuce leaves overlapping each other in a circle so the frilly edges extend just beyond the rim of the platter. Using a slotted spoon to leave juices behind, mound ceviche in the center.
3. Place corn, chili powder, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in bowl; mix together and season to taste with salt. Arrange corn in a ring around ceviche so that the corn covers the bottom third of the lettuce leaves. Place tomatoes in an overlapping ring surrounding the corn and covering the middle third of lettuce leaves.
4. Distribute pressed garlic over the tomatoes, drizzle remaining oil on them, and season to taste with salt. Place the avocado slices and lime wedges on the top third of the lettuce leaves, around the tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Cook's Notes

Ceviche is a classic seafood dish with roots in South America. Scallops are marinated in lime juice and "cooked" by the acid in the lime; the flesh becomes firm and opaque and the flavors bright and fresh tasting.