Recipe: Seafood Salad with Lemon Grass, Mint and Chili-Lime Dressing

SEAFOOD SALAD WITH
LEMON GRASS, MINT AND CHILI-LIME DRESSING

2 stalks lemon grass, trimmed, top one-third of stalks discarded, remaining stalks thinly sliced
1 piece (1-inch long) fresh galangal or fresh ginger, peeled, cut into fine slivers
4 shallots, halved lengthwise, sliced thinly crosswise
1/2 cup fresh sprigs of each: cilantro, mint
3/4 pound fresh squid, skinned, tentacles left whole, body cut into 1-inch rings, optional
2/3 pound fresh medium shrimp, shelled, deveined, butterflied
2/3 pound sea scallops, optional
1/2 pound sea bass fillet, cut into 1-inch chunks
Hot-and-sour chili-lime dressing (recipe follows)
3 to 4 large lettuce leaves

Place lemon grass, galangal, shallots, cilantro and mint in a large bowl; toss. Set aside.

Heat water in a large saucepan to a boil; blanch the seafood, one variety at a time, until just cooked through: 20-30 seconds for the squid; 30-40 seconds for shrimp and scallops; 1-2 minutes for sea bass. Drain well.

Add the warm seafood to the herb mixture; add the dressing. Toss to distribute; transfer to a lettuce-lined serving platter.

HOT AND SOUR CHILI-LIME DRESSING

10 Fresh Thai chilies, chopped
6 to 8 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar

Pound the chilies and garlic into a paste in a mortar with a pestle; transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk in the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar.

Makes 8 servings
Source: Dancing Shrimp by Kasma Loha-Unchit