Seafood Salad in a Martini Glass

Preparation time is 24 hours

Yield:  6

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh lime juice – (500ml)
• 1 tablespoon salt – (15ml)
• 1 hot dried red chili
• 1 teaspoon lime zest – (5ml)
• 12 small littleneck clams
• 1 lime halved
• 2 bays leafs
• 1 tablespoon salt – (15ml)
• 1 tablespoon fresh milled black pepper – (15ml)
• 1 or 2 dried small hot red chilies
• 1 ¼ pounds large shrimp, shelled & deveined– (680grams)
• 20 bay scallops, cut into bite sized halves (or quarters)
• ¾ pound red snapper, cut into bite size chunks – (350grams)
• ¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper – (60ml)
• ¼ cup minced red onion – (60ml)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil – (30ml)
• Tabasco to taste
• 2 tablespoons of minced coriander – (30ml)
• Paprika
• Limes quartered

Directions

1. Combine lime juice, lime zest, salt and hot dried chilies in small bowl and pour into a bottle. Secure the top with cheese cloth and rubber band and leave to sit in a dark cool room for at least 24 hours and preferably 4-6 weeks.  Cork the bottle after 4-6 weeks and it will keep indefinitely at room temperature.
2. Place your clams into a shallow skillet; add an inch of water and a 1 tablespoon sauce.  Cover and let steam until they open, about 5 -10 minutes.  Discard any clams that do not open and chill the others in the fridge for one hour.
3. Pour 8 cups of water in a large pot, add 1 tablespoon of sauce.  Squeeze a fresh lime into the water, add the bay leafs, salt, pepper, chilies, and bring to a boil.  Once it has boiled add shrimp and cook the shrimp for 2 minutes while the liquid returns to a boil. Remove pot from heat, using a slotted spoon, remove shrimp and place them into a bowl.  Pour half of cooking liquid over shrimp, add ice cubes and cool in fridge until cool to the touch.  Remove the shrimp from liquid and place them in a new bowl.  Cover and place the shrimp into the fridge for at least one hour.
4. Mix together chopped scallops and red snapper fillet cubes with 4-6 tablespoons of the sauce – enough to moisten the fish.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. When everything has set and cooled, gently combine scallops, red snapper, shrimp and clams.  Add bell peppers, onion, oil and coriander. Serve in chilled martini glass and garnish with paprika and limes.