Sesame Scallop Balls

Fresh scallops with their plush texture and voluptuously sweet flavor are not common on Chinese tables. Typically, scallops are dried to preserve and intensify their taste, then used as a flavoring, much in the same way as dried shrimp. I, however, cannot resist them fresh, and am often inventing Chinese-spirited dishes to show them off.

• This is a quintessential marriage of yin-yang textures—a velvety ball of fresh scallop purée encased in a crispy coating of g