Scallop Crudo with Grapefruit and Sprouts

As the weather warms up, I crave refreshing, no-cook dishes packed with flavor and protein. Dishes like my Garlic Scape and Marinated Tuna Salad and Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche are easy fixes that aren't as fancy as they sound, and by marinating the seafood in various seasonings, they take on new textures that expand the horizon of sashimi. 

Today, my local fish market had some beautiful freshly shucked scallops from Hokkaido, which inspired this easy crudo that tastes like spring. When preparing scallops to eat raw, I like using a traditional Japanese technique of "washing" them with sake and a touch of salt. This not only purges unwanted odors but also denatures some of the proteins. The result is firm yet bouncy scallops, echoing the delightful burst you get from the bites of grapefruit they're tossed with.

By cutting the scallops with the grain, we preserve their muscle fibers, ensuring each piece has a satisfying snap. When paired with peeled chunks of ruby grapefruit and rich olive oil, each bite creates a dance of savory, sweet, and tangy tastes with a refreshing hint of citrusy bitterness.

It's important to look for scallops that are safe to eat raw. One way to be certain is to buy them live and shuck them yourself or look for scallops in Japanese grocery stores labeled for use in sashimi.

I used a combination of celery and red shiso sprouts, but any refreshing combination of aromatic sprouts like watercress, arugula, or onion sprouts will work. As for the grapefruit, I like peeling the rind off the fruit, separating the segments, and then peeling each segment to reveal the gem-like juice vesicles inside. It's okay if the segments get broken up as you want them to be about the same size as the cut pieces of scallops anyway.