Head Spinning Conchas Borrachas, Drunken Scallops from Ceviche by Martin Morales
A number of years ago, a well traveled Ecuadorian told me that in his opinion Peruvian cuisine was the most varied and interesting cuisine in Latin America.
With Ceviche: Peruvian Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, May 27, 2014), Martin Morales, owner of Ceviche and Andina restaurants in London proves the point.
Let's start with Martin's version of scallops sashimi.
CONCHAS BORRACHAS
DRUNKEN SCALLOPS
I have always been a huge fan of scallop sashimi. After experimenting with various flavor combinations through trial and error, this scallop dish was born. It’s one of the prettiest, most delicate, and most loved dishes on our menu.
SERVES 4
12 large sea scallops, each cut horizontally into 3 thin slices
2 limes, cut in half
Seeds from 1/2 pomegranate
1 limo chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp pisco (or a good-quality vodka)
4 tbsp Cilantro Oil
A small handful of freshly torn cilantro leaves or micro cilantro
Fine sea salt
Arrange the slices of scallop on individual serving plates. Don’t worry if you have to overlap them slightly.
Sprinkle some salt over them and squeeze half a lime over each plate.
Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and chile and then drizzle over a few drops of pisco and the Cilantro Oil.
Decorate with torn cilantro and serve straightaway.
NOTE
Rather than serving on a plate, you can serve these scallops on clean scallop shells.
CILANTRO OIL
We use this a lot in the Ceviche kitchen. If you love cilantro, it’s worth making a large batch, as it will keep in the fridge for around a month.
Put 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro (leaves and stalks) in a saucepan with a scant 1/2 cup / 100 ml vegetable oil and set over medium heat.
Heat gently for 5 minutes, without boiling, to let the cilantro wilt. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
Transfer the cilantro and oil to a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve and decant into a sterilized bottle (see page 227).
Store in a cool, darkplace. Makes a scant 1/2 cup / 100 ml.
(* “Reprinted with permission from Ceviche: Peruvian Kitchen by Martin Morales -Ten Speed Press, © 2014- Photo credit: Paul Winch-Furness)