Scallop Crudo with Watermelon Radish, cucumber and Shiso… and a step by step on how to make Crudo, The Italian Version of Sushi- so simple, delicious and healthy!
The Italians have their own version of sushi, called “Crudo”. It’s something we often serve at upscale catering events as a refreshing, light appetizer. It’s so easy and delicious, I wanted to share it here with you in case you had an interest.
Crudo literally means “raw” in Italian. If you are wondering how to make Crudo, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is. It’s basically raw fish (or meat) drizzled with good quality olive oil, a little acid (fresh citrus juice or vinegar), salt, pepper and fresh herbs.
Here I have a simple Crudo Recipe, to use as a guideline. Scallop Crudo, with watermelon radish, turkish cucumber and shiso leaves. It’s drizzled with oil and seasoned with lemon juice and finished with black salt. That’s it. So simple. So tasty! Use it as a guide to make your own version and please feel free to embellish and play around with it on a blank plate. If raw scallops are a stretch for you, start with wild salmon or ahi tuna. Hamachi is always great too.
Here, raw scallops are thinly sliced along with the radishes and cucumbers. The recipe takes about 5 minutes to make. The fun part is plating it. Play around, practice a bit until you are happy, then finish with the olive oil, rice wine vinegar, salt and herbs. Shiso leaves can be found at Asian markets or feel free to use chives, basil, Italian parsley or most any tender herb.
I fell in love with shiso leaves this past June in Japan. I’ve had it many times before, but somehow it never called to me, until recently. Now, I’m enamored with the taste, which, as much I want describe it here, I have no words for. It tastes of fading dreams, the ones that slip away, as you wake from sleep into the morning. That’s the closest I can come to describing its flavor. See for yourself.
The goal of this recipe is to have fun creating it. It’s pretty hard to mess up, so be whimsical with it and enjoy.
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PrintSCALLOP CRUDO WITH RADISH, CUCUMBER AND SHISO
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: chilled
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
An Italian Style Sushi, Crudo literally means “raw”. It’s a refreshing summer starter during the hot months. Use raw fish or scallops drizzled with olive oil.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces raw scallops or fish ( ahi, salmon, hamachi…etc)
- 3–4 radishes, sliced
- 2 turkish cucumbers, sliced
- fresh shiso leaves – or basil, cilantro, or mint.
Dressing
- Garnish with Shiso leaves- optional
- Other Optional Additions: lemon zest, daikon, summer tomatoes, stone fruit, citrus fruit, sweet onion, avocado, capers, fresh herbs, black salt, smoked salt.
Instructions
- Thinly slice raw fish or scallops.
- Thinly slice radishes and cucumbers.
- Slice herbs or make ribbons.
- Divide among plates, arranging to your liking.
- Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze with lemon, season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh herbs or shiso.
- Keep very cold until ready to serve.
Nutrition
- Calories: 235
This was so simple to make and came out looking beautiful. We didnt have yuzu ( subbed meyer lemon) or watermelon radishes ( used regular radishes) but still delicious! Our guests enjoyed. Oh we also used a lemon-infused olive oil!