Carpaccio de Saint-Jacques au Yuzu

This elegant no-cook dish marries the French tradition of raw seafood carpaccio with Japanese yuzu citrus — a modern-fusion starter beloved in Parisian bistros with contemporary flair.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 400g (14 oz) very fresh large scallops, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 tbsp (30ml) yuzu juice (or equal parts lime and lemon juice)
• 3 tbsp (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp (15ml) light soy sauce
• 1 tsp (5ml) honey
• Fleur de sel and freshly ground white pepper
• 30g (1 oz) microgreens or chervil sprigs
• 1 radish, thinly sliced on a mandoline
• 1 tbsp capers, rinsed
• Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

1. Freeze scallops for 20 minutes until firm but not solid — this makes slicing clean and safe.
2. Whisk together yuzu juice, olive oil, soy sauce, and honey until emulsified. Taste and adjust — it should be bright, lightly salty, and just barely sweet.
3. Slice scallops across the grain into 3mm (⅛ inch) rounds and fan them out immediately on chilled plates.
4. Drizzle the yuzu dressing over the scallops (about 1½ tbsp per plate) and season with fleur de sel and white pepper.
5. Top with microgreens or chervil, radish rounds, capers, and lemon zest. Serve within 5 minutes.

Cook's Notes: Use the freshest scallops you can find — this dish is essentially raw. Dry-packed scallops (not treated with sodium tripolyphosphate) have superior texture and flavour. The brief freezing step firms the muscle fibres for cleaner cuts.