Julio’s Scallop Costeño

With this dish I want to showcase my childhood and two important ingredients that Salvadorians use on a daily basis - coconut and corn.

I grew up close to the coast of El Salvador with coconut trees around my house and 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).

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 especially in Latin 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.

Choosing these two ingredients and combining them with fresh scallops was the perfect combination: a fruit that I grew up around and a versatile, staple ingredient in any Latino American household.

- Julio Mendez

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2-3 fresh scallops per person (about 10-12 total)

• 8 slices of Persian cucumber

• 3 baby corn cobs, charred and sliced into rounds

• 3 clementine or mandarin segments, charred

• 3 small cubes of fresh coconut, charred

• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced

For the Coconut Corn Leche de Tigre:

• 2 cups fresh corn juice (see notes)

• 2 ½ cups coconut milk

• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp sugar

• 1 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

For Garnish:

• Hoja Santa or cilantro oil (see notes)

• Maldon salt

Notes:

• Corn Juice: To make corn juice, simply blend fresh corn kernels with a little water until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth to get the liquid.

• Hoja Santa or Cilantro Oil: For an easy homemade version, blend fresh cilantro with olive oil and a pinch of salt, then strain for a bright green herb oil.

Instructions

1. Brine the Scallops:

In a small bowl, mix 1 quart of water with 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 oz lime juice. Brine the scallops in this solution for about 30 minutes. Remove and pat dry before slicing thinly.

2. Make the Leche de Tigre:

In a blender, combine the corn juice, coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, and salt. Blend until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve. Set aside and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Char the Garnishes:

Using a kitchen torch, char one side of the baby corn rounds, clementine segments, and coconut cubes. For a homey touch, you can also do this over a grill or in a very hot pan.

4. Assemble the Dish:

On each plate, arrange the scallop slices in a circle. Alternate between slices of scallop, cucumber, baby corn, and coconut to form a decorative ring. Tuck in the charred clementine segments and shallot slices as you go.

Spoon the coconut corn leche de tigre around the scallop circle. For an extra touch, drizzle small dots of Hoja Santa or cilantro oil on top of the dish.

5. Garnish and Serve:

Finish with a sprinkle of Maldon salt and a few cilantro leaves or small cilantro sprigs on top. Serve immediately.