Scallop Carpaccio, Finger Lime & Yucca Flower

Before starting this Scallop Carpaccio, Finger Lime and Yucca Flower recipe, get everything ready to open the scallops. Slide a scallop knife gently around the flat shell to cut the muscle. Scrape the knife along the inside face of the flat shell.

Open the shell and remove the top part.

Repeat the operation with all the scallops.

Detach the scallop from the shell, scraping a tablespoon carefully between the nerve and the scallop. Collect the scallop inside the spoon.

With your hands, gently pull off the membrane around the scallop.

Place the scallops in a fine sieve, then into a bowl filled with ice water (water and ice cubes) and soak for 15 minutes maximum. This will help to remove the sand inside the scallops and to firm up the flesh of the scallops so they're easier to slice. At this stage, the scallops can be stored for up to 4 or 5 days in the fridge.

There are other methods to open scallops. Watch the video to learn more about an alternative method.

Rinse the scallops well after soaking. Place paper towel at the bottom of a food container, then arrange the scallops carefully into rows so they keep their round shape. This is a great way to dry them and to store them.

Assembling the carpaccio: It is important to prepare the carpaccio directly in the serving plates, using a tart ring Ø 12cm for instance. Using a Chef's knife, slice the scallops on a chopping board to a thickness of 3 or 4mm. The slices shouldn't be too thin.

Place the tart in the centre of the plate, then arrange the scallop slices inside the ring. For the ends of each scallops, make sure the outer part is facing down.

Make the scallop slices overlap a little. The quantity of scallops per plate will depend on their size. Make sure not to slice scallops which have just been soaked and strained, they will release too much moisture in the place.

Slice the rest of the scallops...

... and arrange the slices inside the ring...

... to create a swirl shape.

Take half a lime and prick it 10 or 15 times with a knife.

Squeeze the lime with a citrus press. Pricking it beforehand will make this operation easier. Lime is a relatively hard fruit, harder to squeeze than a lemon.

Grind some Phu Quoc pepper in a bowl to prepare the marinade at the last minute.

Add the lime juice.

Add a dash of olive oil...

... and combine well.

Gently remove the tart ring.

The scallop carpaccio should be neat and centred.

Cut a finger lime in half and remove the skin carefully to extract the pearls. This Australian lime contains little pearls with a very interesting acidity.

Season the scallops with the marinade. Using a spoon, pour some marinade over the scallop slices.

Pour a thin dash of hazelnut oil.

Using a Microplane Classic grater, cut a few lime zests...

... and sprinkle over the scallop slices.

Add a little fleur de sel.

Scrape the inside of the finger lime with your thumb to extract the pearls.

Arrange the lime pearls over the carpaccio. Another alternative would be clementine from Corsica (using clementine zest instead of lime zest and clementine pulp instead of lime finger pearls).

Sprinkle freshly ground pink peppercorns over the carpaccio. A small amount is enough.

Take the white yucca flower...

... and slice the petals finely with a knife.

Arrange the petal slices over the scallop carpaccio, using decorating tweezers.

Arrange a few nasturtium leaves, a borage flower...

... a little Dragon Wing begonia...

... and finish with a few chervil leaves.

Our scallop carpaccio is now ready to serve. It is essential to prepare this recipe at the last minute. Bon appétit!