Sipping a fresh mojito one balmy summer evening in the back garden of Christiane’s lovely home by her pool, I was inspired by the abundance of fresh mint growing wild further back in that garden, as well as the large, fresh Bay scallops from the Number One Fish Market down the hill from her house to try this concoction. In Beppe’s estimation, it was a winner, so here goes…

Slice the scallops (halve them if using little ones) and microwave very briefly (10 seconds) if you wish. Sprinkle with salt and marinate in a mixture of fresh squeezed citrus juices (I used one orange and one lemon) into which are crushed several sprigs of fresh mint, as well a fresh ginger (grated or copped very fine and squeezed to extract the juice). Chill in the fridge for some hours and serve with a sprinkling of black pepper and paprika/cayenne (the merest hint mind you).

A nice white wine or DuBonnet (another liking I acquired during my residence at Christiane’s), also chilled, rounds this appetizer out very nicely.