At my restaurants I'm always looking for innovative ways to use common ingredients. You might never think to combine scallops and strawberries in a dish at home, but the two are a wonderful match. While strawberries are sweet and aromatic, they also have a sour taste that's a perfect counterpoint to the naturally sweet taste of scallops. Put a little thought into your choice of a serving platter, buy the freshest ingredients, and take the time to arrange them-you'll easily create a delectable dish worthy of any restaurant.

8 fresh scallops 12 large fresh strawberries Lemon juice 2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil French dressing Mixed salad greens (endive, Marche, etc.) Salt Pepper

[1] Thinly slice scallops into 5-7 mm-rounds. Use the freshest scallops possible. In Japan, we would use scallops sold as sashimi. [2] Boil scallops very briefly in a pan of lightly salted boiling water. Leave in just long enough for the surface of the scallops to change color. Drain, submerge briefly in ice water, then set aside. [3] Slice strawberries to same thickness as the scallops. Set aside the same number of strawberry slices as there are scallops. (Note: Use the slices that are closest to the size of the scallops.) Puree the remaining strawberries. 　 　 [4] Stir olive oil and a little lemon juice into the pureed strawberries to make the dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. Use the inner slices of the strawberries to place next to the scallops and use the outer slices for the dressing. The large slices will look most impressive next to the scallops and the outer slices will produce a vividly colorful sauce. [5] Toss the scallops in a few spoonfuls of French dressing. On a serving platter, arrange the scallop and strawberry slices in an alternating pattern. Garnish with salad greens and pour the strawberry dressing over all.