I was in one such state recently when I was browsing the seafood counter of a local (ok, so it was an hour away, but you know my truly “local” resources are limited) supermarket. Knock me over with a feather....right there in front of me were some lovely little red crab claws. Those bad boys went into my cart so fast, it had my Little Man doing a double take. There is very little that boy misses, but he had to reach over and peer in the cart to see what exactly had made its way into my seafood-starved possession.
And they were never heard from again.
Okay, well, maybe they were. But just briefly, in the privacy of my kitchen, where I pulled a chair up to the kitchen counter (that’s right, I didn’t even make it to a table) and devoured the little beasties with an almost horrifying display of gluttony. Which is why I never left the kitchen. Because my love affair with crab is something that is really best kept in private. And besides.... it was much closer to the trash can....I mean, why dirty another dish just for the shells, right? I was just being efficient.
That’s my story and I’ll tell it how I want to hear it.
What did I do to the little claws, you ask? Other than make a glorious mess of them, that is? Well, I marinated them. See, since crab is generally always precooked, unless is it still alive, there is really no cooking involved. I whipped up a marinade of soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and red pepper flake. Then I tossed the claws in the marinade and let it swim around in it (in the fridge, of course) overnight, tossing them around occasionally to make sure all the little crevices got coated.
While these crustaceans weren’t very photogenic, but considering the willpower it took to take pictures before wolfing it down...well, you’re lucky there are pictures at all. I’m just sayin’.
While I thoroughly enjoyed these sequestered in my little corner of the culinary world, and they look like they would make marvelous appetizers for your next party, don’t do it. I strongly urge you to resist serving these to your friends. And not only because you will want them all for yourself, but because you will likely have a number of dry cleaning bills foisted upon you. These little buggers are MESSY. Drippy and oozing soy sauce, this is not something you want to eat in your dressy dinner attire. Besides.... seeing someone else eat like this.... can be a tad frightening. And it might give you insights about said friends....insights you may want to burn from your retinas later. Resist....I beg you.
When the scallops are as “done” as you like—break one open to see if it looks as cooked as you like (I like them still pink on the inside), drain off all but about 1/4 cup of the lime juice. Stir in 1/2 cup of the herb mixture, cucumber and avocado. Taste and season with more salt if you think necessary. Serve on lettuce leaf-lined plates or martini glasses. You’re ready to serve.
Notes: I have a renewed faith in bay scallops. Serving them in a ceviche removes the risk of overcooking, and they come out of the citrus mixture soft, delicate, and flavorful. The herbs are fragrant and offer a wonderful option for a healthful dish with a minimum of effort, and it tastes like it came out of a gourmet kitchen. Give this one a shot!