Scallop and Mango Ceviche With Thai-Lime Dipping Sauce

Manami's Note:

This dipping sauce, fresh with herbs and tangy with lime, is Blue Ginger's, Ming Tsai's restaurant, most requested recipe. It's based on the traditional Thai dip called cha-gio, which gets its flavor from fish sauce. That salty ingredient is nicely balanced with lime juice. The herbs darken as the sauce ages; this isn't a taste problem (quite the opposite, as the flavor deepends over time) but the sauce will lose it looks. If this bothers you make and store the sauce "base" only, then chop & add the herbs an hour before serving it.Ceviche is food "cooked" without heat. As with all ceviches, freshness is key. Make sure your scallops are pristine enough to eat raw. This technique uses citric acid or vinegar to firm and therefore"cooked". Here, mango adds its exotic sweetness to scallops, which cook in the flavorful dipping sauce. Ming Tsai - ming.com - Episode 105, Tags: sauce, appetizer, scallops or mangoes. ;)

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 35 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

THAI LIME DIPPING SAUCE

• 2 cups Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
• 3 cups fresh lime juice or 3 cups bottled lime juice
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• ½ cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

SCALLOP AND MANGO CEVICHE

• 8 large sea scallops , sliced into 1/4-inch disks
• 1 cup thai lime dipping sauce
• ¼ lb mache or ¼ lb mesclun or ¼ lb mixed small greens
• 1 large shallot , thinly sliced
• 1 mango , flesh removed from the pit and sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick
• 2 limes, juice of
• 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns or 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper , to taste

Directions:

1. THAI-LIME DIPPING SAUCE:.
2. In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the ingredients and mix.
3. SCALLOP AND MANGO CEVICHE:.
4. In a nonreactive bowl, combine the scallops with the Thai Lime Dipping Sauce and toss.
5. Marinate, refrigerated, for 10 minutes.
6. Arrange a layer of the mache on chilled plates.
7. Top each portion with 3 scallop slices, half the shallot, and all of the mango.
8. Top with the remaining scallop slices and shallot.
9. Pour over the lime juice.
10. Sprinkle with the peppercorns, crushing them with your fingers as you do so.
11. Serve immediately.
12. *Use the sauce for "ceviche cooking" cod, salmon and Contessa Shrimp. Use to marinate chicken legs and thighs in the sauce, and fry.