Life hack incoming… If you’re entertaining, putting on a few courses for friends or family, you don’t want to be fussing about with complicated appetisers (who's with me?). This scallop crudo with mango and Nuoc Mam Gung is the perfect plate that comes together effortlessly and tastes amazing.

If you’re new to the world of crudo and all things raw dishes, friend, you’re in the right place. Here I’m showing you step by step how to make a scallop crudo, tips for buying and prepping your scallops, how to perfectly balance the flavours of your sauce, and substitutions for when mangos aren’t in season. Let’s dive in.

What is Crudo?

Crudo means raw in Italian. When you see a dish that names the fish followed by crudo, think - the freshest of seafood, finely sliced and dressed with a few simple ingredients. There’s all sorts of ingredients to include with crudo, the most simple version being a little citrus with olive oil and one or two other ingredients. But we’re changing things up a bit in this recipe, with some delicious Vietnamese flavours.

What is Nuoc Mam Gung.

For this recipe I’ve paired the sea scallops with a vibrant sauce made with lime juice, fish sauce, ginger, sugar, rice wine vinegar and water, called Nuoc Mam Gung. In Vietnamese cuisine, it’s used as a simple dipping sauce, but it’s so delicious, I like to use it in all sorts of ways, like in a salad dressing, served with chicken or with raw dishes as a way to dress the seafood. It’s really easy and quick to make, which is perfect for a dish like this.

Buying scallops for eating raw.

You always want to look for fresh sashimi-grade or sushi-grade seafood when eating it raw. I like to buy it the day I’m eating it. Find a reputable fishmonger that sells sashimi / sushi grade fish that can ask you where the fish comes from, and when it was caught. It shouldn’t smell fishy, but taste clean, with a subtle hint of the sea.

For sea scallops in particular, you want ‘dry’ scallops, as opposed to ‘wet’ or ‘brined’ scallops. Dry scallops means that they are natural and untreated, and haven't added any additives to them to preserve them. Look at the colour. A dry scallop will be creamy or beige colour, as opposed to a bright white from the chemical brining. And are they dry looking? A dry scallop won’t be sitting in a puddle of liquid.

Dry scallops have a superior flavour. Pure, slightly sweet and tasting of the sea (incredible!), and have a firmer texture than wet scallops. They are more expensive, this is a good thing. You know you’re buying quality.

To tell if they’re fresh, your scallops should have a light scent of the sea but not smell fishy.

What does sashimi-grade mean?

Sashimi-grade or sushi-grade is an unregulated term, but indicates that the fish is the best quality and safe to eat raw, often the seafood will have been frozen and thawed with a certain technique that kills any parasites that would ordinarily be killed in the cooking process. The experts preparing sashimi grade fish know what varieties are safe and what aren't, for example freshwater fish should not be eaten raw.

Preparing your scallops.

You’re buying them already removed from their shell, with roe removed as well. So preparing scallops is easy. All you have to do is pat them dry, then cut away the little muscle on the side. It’s almost rectangular and looks very similar to the rest of the meat but you’ll see it when you look for it. You can either slice it away with a knife, or peel it away with your hands.

To slice your scallop into round slivers, use a sharp knife, and depending on their size, you might find it easier to slice them on their side or facing upward. Either way, try to get 3-4 slices. Keep refrigerated till ready to use.

Balancing your flavours for the Nuoc Mam Gung.

It’s all about balancing salty, sweet, sour, pungent and hot with this dish. Some versions don’t add water to this sauce but there’s so many variations, for this recipe I recommend because it dilutes the funkiness of the fish sauce, and not overpowering the subtle scallop flavour, but enhancing it.

You can balance to your liking by starting with my recommended quantities, and a little more at a time, if you want it sweeter, add a touch more sugar, more lime for sour - you get it.

In terms of overall flavour, I prefer it more on the citrus side, so the lime flavour is more forward than the fish sauce, which really compliments the mango.

Assembling the crudo plate

You can prep the ingredients in advance, dice the mando, make the sauce etc, but assemble the plate just before serving. If you have the scallops sitting in the sauce for a while they will slightly cure like ceviche, for a crudo, you want them to be raw.

Looking for more raw dishes?

I love creating recipes that are easy and delicious. My Snapper citrus crudo is another super easy, really tasty raw dish, or my Kingfish mezcal ceviche tostadas are crazy yum.