on crudos.......

    The word "crudo" means raw in Italian and Spanish, it also refers to the Italian preparation of slicing fish thinly and drizzling it with olive oil, citrus, herbs, and seasonings. One of the most classic examples has been served in Italian fishing towns, it includes olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and basil. I like to do my crudos a bit differently; instead of mixing the citrus juices with olive oil, I like to balance the juices with some salt, sugar, and a hint of vinegar. I find that most of the times the amount of olive oil used in crudos detracts from the actual flavor of the fish. The whole point of the crudo is to showcase the freshness and quality of your product not mascarade it behind the olive oil/citrus combination. In this case I used some fresh scallops which I sliced thinly, brushed with a good quality olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt. The citrus mixture I used for the dish was blood orange juice which I mixed with sugar, salt, and a hint of red wine vinegar. I garnished the plate with sliced fennel ribbons and sorrel. The combination of the blood orange mixture with the sorrel and fennel brought out the brininess and sweetness of the scallops in a very pleasant way.