Scallop Costeño

brine scallops, clementine, leche de tigre, shallots

I grew up close to the coast of El Salvador having coconut trees around my house. Waiting for these hard shell fruits to be harvested and then used in many ways was the fun part. I remember my mom making them into either fresco de coco (coconut agua fresca) or charamuscas (coco sorbet in a bag) or if the coco was hard she made dulces de coco (candied coconut). Just a very versatile fruit that I grew up with and wanted it to transform into something more exciting.

My second important ingredient for this dish is corn. El Salvador’s diet is full of this versatile ingredient that is well known and used around the world but specially in Latino-America. Where corn can be transformed into a pupusa, tortilla, or tostada, or even into a cold drink like tejuino or a hot one like an atol de elote. An intriguing ingredient that has many utilities and can be changed depending on the region or country.

Choosing these two ingredients and combining them with fresh scallops was the perfect combination. An inspiration where I come from the Coast of La Paz, a fruit that I grew up around and the versatile corn ingredient that’s never left out in any Latino- American household.