5 March 2013

WOW Your Guests with a Scallop Ceviche with Finger Limes


Scallop Ceviche with Finger Limes

In the depths of Australia an unassuming citrus grows in the rainforest. They grow to be several inches long and in inch or so in diameter, and come in every shade of red, pink, yellow, and green. When you break them open out tumble citrus caviar or pearls like an erupting volcano that bursts with lime flavour. I have longed to try these "citrus pop rocks" and was delighted to come across these little jewels at our local Choices. The pulp inside these gherkin-shaped "ugly ducklings" of the citrus world is made of hundreds of tiny balls of juice or vesicles; edible bubbles that literally burst between your teeth.


These days there are a handful of growers in California cultivating finger limes but the rest are still shipped from "down under." You no longer need to be a scientist or from Australia to taste these legendary finger limes.

For my first foray into cooking with these little treasures I decided upon a classical Scallop Ceviche. If you dice the scallops they will take little time to "cook" in the lime juice. I served them in tiny glasses and topped each with these juicy pearls. More finger limes were served on the side for guests to appreciate this taste sensation to its fullest.

POW! You are hit with a surprising burst of citrus flavour that pops on the tongue like caviar, releasing a flavour that combines lemon and lime with green and herbaceous notes. The rind is also quite aromatic. I hope you also have the opportunity to try these elusive citrus. I have a feeling they will become very popular.


**Scallop Ceviche with Finger Limes**

 1 pound bay scallops, finely diced
 8 limes, juiced ( I added some freshly squeezed lemon juice to completely cover the scallops)
 2 tomatoes, diced
 ¼ cup red onion or shallots, finely diced
½  green bell pepper, minced
¼ cup cucumber, finely diced
½ red pepper, finely diced
 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
 freshly ground black pepper
 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
 1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Finger limes

Rinse scallops and place in a medium sized bowl. Dice the scallops finely. Pour lime juice over the scallops. The scallops should be completely immersed in the lime juice. Chill the lime juice and scallops for at least a half hour or longer until the scallops are opaque (you cannot see through them). This means they are "cooked."

Empty 1/2 of the lime juice from the bowl. Add cucumber, onion, cucumber, green and red bell peppers, parsley, black pepper, olive oil, and cilantro to the scallop mixture. Stir gently. Serve this dish in fancy glasses with a slice of lime hanging over the rim for effect if you like. If you have finger limes squeeze "pearls" onto the top of each serving glass. Serve extra finger limes for each guest.


You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
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16 comments:

  1. How interesting! I've never seen (or heard of) finger limes but I'm going to be on the hunt for them. I'd love to have a serving of the ceviche right now.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  2. A wonderful dish to wow guests. This cerviche is splendid and must taste divine.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  3. This absolutely ROCKS Val! I will definitely serve this at my next party. Thank you my friend.

    And I have those little amuse bouche glasses too! YAY!
    LL

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  4. Love this finger limes! Now that I know they exist I have to find them!

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  5. Whoa! Those are SO COOL. I wish we had awesome fruits like that here in the northern hemisphere!

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  6. Aren't finger limes just great? Love the scallop ceviche idea too Val! Beautiful!

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  7. Just get out of here. It's like vegan caviar. GREG

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  8. I have never heard of finger limes before... I am intrigued! The ceviche looks amazing.

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  9. ooh, I so want to try those! Great idea to use them in ceviche.

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  10. Wow! I would never find that in my little city! Great idea for using them.

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  11. Oh I am so wishing I could find those here in New Jersey. They make that ceviche shine. I can only imagine the taste sensation of biting into these. very cool.

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  12. I've been looking for finger limes for ages! I haven't stumbled across any yet.

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  13. Wow Valli! Thanks for the info :D. I'm running to Barcelona's Boqueria Market to see if I can find it!!!! I'm sure I will love it. What an inspiration for future dishes!

    It makes the perfect Ceviche!

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  14. The finger limes might not be pretty on the outside but the inside is filled with little jewels...I hope they eventually make their way to a market here in New England. In the meantime, I'll make the ceviche without them.

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  15. i wouldn't like to eat this AT ALL, but it's absolutely stunning! compliments to you, val!

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  16. Wow, I have never seen those finger limes before, they look wonderful, would really like to get my hands on some one day!

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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