Vietnamese shrimp salad

• Trim the root ends from the scallions; thinly slice the scallions, keeping the white and green parts separate. Set aside the green parts for the salad. 

In a small bowl, stir together the white parts of the scallions, the nuoc cham, and 1 tablespoon [2 TBL] oil.

Shrimp:

• Rinse and drain the shrimp. Pat dry on a paper-towel-lined plate. Season with salt, pepper, and the five spice powder.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 to 2 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking. Add the shrimp and cook, turning once, until firm and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side for regular shrimp, 2 to 3 minutes per side for jumbo shrimp. Transfer to a plate.

Scallops:

• Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel; season with salt and the five spice powder.

In a large frying pan over high heat, warm 1 to 2 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking. Add the scallops and cook without turning until golden brown on one side and starting to turn opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn and continue cooking for about 30 seconds for translucent or 1 to 2 minutes for opaque. Transfer to a plate. 

While the shellfish is cooking, start preparing the remaining ingredients.

• Trim the root end from the romaine heart; thinly slice the leaves.
• Trim the ends from the mango; cut away the peel, then cut the flesh away from the pit into halves. Thinly slice the halves crosswise.

In a large bowl, toss together the romaine, mango, carrots, walnuts, shellfish, the green parts of the scallions, and half the dressing (set aside the remaining dressing for serving). Season to taste with salt and pepper.