Gingered Cucumber Salad With Scallops

chia's Note:

from today's ny times, this is light and very easy to make. cooking and prep times do not reflect the 1 hour marinating time. if you're using rice wine vinegar do not add the water.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 ¼-1 ½ lbs cucumbers (preferably english or hothouse)
• ½ cup rice vinegar or ½ cup white vinegar , diluted with
• ¼ cup water
• 2 inches fresh ginger , peeled and grated
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil or 3 tablespoons other neutral oil
• 1 lb sea scallops , cut in half (or shrimp, peeled)
• 1 large onion , sliced
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:

1. With English cucumbers slice thinly, preferably with a mandoline.
2. With thick cucumbers, peel, halve lengthwise, and scoop out seeds before slicing.
3. Mix vinegar, ginger, sugar and salt, and toss with cucumbers.
4. Let stand for 30 to 60 minutes.
5. (Refrigerate if marinating for more than an hour in warm weather.).
6. Just before serving, drain excess liquid.
7. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat.
8. Wait a minute, then add scallops or shrimp.
9. Sear for about 2 minutes to a side, then remove to a plate.
10. Turn heat to medium, add remaining oil, onions and turmeric, if you are using it.
11. Cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes.
12. Meanwhile, toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
13. Stir onions into cucumbers, top with scallops or shrimp, garnish with sesame seeds, and serve.

Reviews

[Cathy17]

I had somewhat of a catastrophe in the kitchen when I attempted to make this. My fridge has an uneven temp and half of my cuke was frozen. It still tasted fine, so I used it. Then when I went to shake tumeric on the onions as they sautéed, the lid fell off and most of what was in the container fell in. I decided to serve the cucumbers as a cold salad instead and didn't continue with the rest of the recipe. Just so you know, the marinade and cukes are wonderful on their own. I followed the marinade / dressing recipe using seasoned rice vinegar, only adding a bit more ginger (I used minced, not fresh) than the recipe specified. I do intend to make the recipe as intended, but I have to buy more tumeric first since all of it went into the pan with the onions. I'm giving the cucumber/marinade portion of the recipe 5 stars because it was yummy and a great alteration if you don't have shrimp or tumeric or you don't want to cook on the stove. Hope this helps.