Scallop ceviche, Meyer lemon and apple
Too much acid will kill the taste of the scallop, so don’t marinate too much, in terms of time and concentration. I’m lucky enough to have scallops from the Magdalen Islands that have been frozen – don’t be afraid of that – and when you’re working with quality scallops, there’s no point in marinating too much. When you cook a salmonid and you see a white halo around it, it is often a sign that it is overcooked and that is what makes it squeaky. It is the algumines which coagulate; it’s the same protein that acts on egg whites, and it’s the same thing that happens with our scallop.
Samuel Sirois
Preparation time: 20 to 30 minutes
Rest: 1 night (for the red onion pickles)
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
For the red onion pickles
15 to 20 red pearl onions
250ml water
250ml dry white wine
250ml white vinegar
100ml store-bought beet juice
200g sugar
50g salt
For the ceviche marinade
1 clementine
3 Meyer lemons
1 orange
1 dash of Espelette pepper
1/2 clove garlic
1 gray shallot
Grapeseed oil
1/4 peeled fennel bulb, a few leaves reserved
1/2 green apple
For the scallops
120-160g fresh cleaned scallops (or frozen, but in giant size U10 style)
Salt/sugar mixture (60g sugar and 60g salt)
For dressing and finishing
Fennel and coriander leaves
Apple decoration (of your choice)
Pieces of Meyer lemon flesh (of your choice)
Flower of salt
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
A scallop ceviche that is quite simple to prepare, you just need to be careful!
Preparation
For the red onion pickles
1. Cut the base of the onions and peel.
2. Place all other ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to the boil until the dry elements have completely dissolved.
3. Pour the boiling mixture over the onions in a Mason jar.
4. Place plastic wrap in contact, put a lid on (do not close completely to let the steam escape) and leave to rest overnight, or even longer if you have time.
5. Remove from the marinade, then cut in half to form pretty onion petals.
For the ceviche marinade
1. Take the zest from one of the two lemons. To book.
2. Juice the citrus fruits and filter through a sieve. To book.
3. Finely chop the garlic and shallot. To book.
4. Wash the fennel, then cut into a perfect brunoise and set aside.
5. Do the same with the apple.
6. Mix the elements in a mixing bowl, with the seed oil, taking care to place it on another mixing bowl filled with ice cubes. To book.
For the scallops
1. Put the salt/sugar mixture on the scallops, then wait about 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Rinse with cold water and pat dry.
3. Cut the scallops into slices approximately 5 mm thick.
4. Reserve over ice.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
The marinade bath should not submerge the scallop slices.
Dressing and finishing
1. Place the scallops in the marinade. Marinate them for 5 to 8 minutes, at most.
2. Place 60 g to 80 g of well-drained scallops in each bowl.
3. Add a few pieces of coriander leaves, fennel and apple decorations.
4. Finish by placing a little marinade juice on the ceviche and a few small pieces of Meyer lemon flesh and fleur de sel.