Fragrant Sea Scallop Cakes From 'One Good Dish'

• 1 pound sea scallops
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 small garlic cloves, smashed to a paste with a little salt
• One 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped serrano or jalapeno chile, or to taste
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
• 2 small kaffir lime leaves, thinly slivered
• 1 small egg, lightly beaten
• Coconut or peanut oil for shallow-frying
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• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 or 3 tiny red or green fresh Thai chiles, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped or crushed unsalted roasted peanuts
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger

1. To make the scallop cakes, put the scallops in the bowl of a food processor, add the salt, pepper, fish sauce, garlic, and ginger, and process to a fine paste, about 1 minute. Add the scallions, chile, cilantro, kaffir lime leaves, and egg and pulse a few times to combine well. Transfer to a bowl. The scallop mixture can be refrigerated for up to a day.
2. To make the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small serving bowl.
3. Pour coconut oil to a depth of 1/4 inch into a wide cast-iron skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil is hot, carefully add the scallop mixture in large spoonfuls (fry in batches to avoid crowding), adjust the heat if necessary to allow the cakes to brown gently, and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip them, flatten them gently with a spatula, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until browned. Drain on paper towels and serve hot, with the dipping sauce.

scallops, salt, white, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, scallions, serrano, cilantro, lime, egg, coconut, nbsp, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, chiles, peanuts, fish sauce, ginger

Taken from www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/01/fragrant-sea-scallop-cakes-from-one-good-dish.html (may not work)