Equipment
Ingredients
Crudo and Dressing
- 400 g sea scallops, fresh, dry-pack, sashimi-grade, side muscles removed
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed, room temperature
- 15 g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 garlic, peeled and grated into a fine paste
- 3 g flaky sea salt, coarse flakes
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 164 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 684 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 226 mg
- Calcium
- 9 mg
- Iron
- 0.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 24 mg
- Phosphorus
- 337 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Water
- 83 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Sanitize the cutting board, chef's knife, and hands with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before preparing raw seafood to establish strict cross-contamination control.
Inspect each sea scallop, peel away and discard the tough fibrous side muscle if still attached, and pat the scallops thoroughly dry on all sides using clean paper towels.
Place the dried scallops on the cutting board and, using a very sharp chef's knife, slice each scallop horizontally across the grain into thin medallions approximately 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick.
Grate the peeled ginger and peeled garlic clove using a microplane grater directly into a small mixing bowl, then pour in the extra virgin olive oil and 1 g of flaky sea salt, whisking for 1 minute until partially emulsified.
Arrange the sliced scallop medallions in an elegant, single, slightly overlapping circular layer across the pre-chilled serving platter.
Drizzle the emulsified ginger, garlic, and olive oil dressing evenly over every scallop slice, then transfer the platter to the refrigerator at 2°C (36°F) to marinate gently for 10 minutes.
Remove the platter from the refrigerator, scatter the remaining 2 g of flaky sea salt over the marinated slices, and serve immediately. Note that standard FoodSafety.gov guidance recommends cooking scallops to an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F) until flesh is firm, opaque, and pearly white; raw consumption is strictly intended for healthy adults using certified sashimi-grade seafood.
Chef's Notes
- Sourcing is paramount for crudo: only purchase dry-pack sea scallops certified for raw consumption (sashimi-grade). Chemically soaked wet scallops absorb excess moisture and will turn watery and limp.
- A 10-minute freezer chill before slicing temporarily firms the delicate adductor muscle fibers, allowing you to achieve uniform, paper-thin 3 mm slices without tearing the sweet scallop meat.
- Select an extra virgin olive oil that is buttery and fruity with low bitterness, such as a Ligurian or Sicilian cultivar. Robust peppery oils can overwhelm the subtle, naturally sweet salinity of pristine scallops.
- Always maintain cold-chain safety. Keep the scallops refrigerated below 4°C (40°F) until the moment of slicing, chill your serving platter in advance, and consume within two hours of preparation.
Storage
Refrigerator: 12 hours — Store in an airtight container at 1°C to 3°C (34°F to 38°F). Best consumed within 2 hours of assembly for optimal sweetness and texture.
Reheating: Crudo is served chilled; do not reheat. If thoroughly cooking leftover scallops to eliminate pathogens, pan-sear to a safe minimum internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) for reheated seafood until flesh is completely opaque and pearly white.
Troubleshooting
Scallops shed excess water, creating an oily and watery pool on the platter
Cause: Wet-packed scallops treated with water and sodium tripolyphosphate preservatives were used instead of natural dry-pack scallops
Fix: Carefully tip the platter slightly and blot the pooled liquid with a clean paper towel, then spoon an additional 10 ml of fresh extra virgin olive oil over the slices
Prevention: Verify with the fishmonger that you are purchasing chemical-free, dry-pack sea scallops, and pat them thoroughly dry before slicing
Garlic flavor is harsh and overpowers the sweet marine notes of the scallop
Cause: Garlic was minced into chunky pieces rather than micro-grated into a smooth paste, or too much raw garlic was used
Fix: Drizzle an additional 15 ml of extra virgin olive oil across the dish to dilute and mellow the concentrated allicin pungency
Prevention: Grate garlic on a microplane so its pungency disperses evenly into the lipid phase of the olive oil
Guest requests a fully cooked dish or belongs to a vulnerable demographic unable to consume raw seafood
Cause: Crudo relies on uncooked sea scallops, which carries food safety considerations under FoodSafety.gov recommendations
Fix: Transfer the sliced scallops to a hot nonstick pan over medium-high heat with a dash of olive oil and flash-sear for 30 to 45 seconds per side until opaque, pearly white, and an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F) is reached
Prevention: Confirm diner health status and dietary preferences prior to preparation
Cultural Context
Crudo, meaning raw in Italian, is a venerable seaside tradition celebrated across coastal regions from Venice and Liguria down to the shores of Puglia and Sicily. While purists traditionally dressed the freshest raw catches with nothing more than virgin oil and salt, modern Italian seafood masters regularly incorporate aromatic accents like fresh ginger and garlic to highlight the natural oceanic sweetness of pristine shellfish.
