Cured Scallops with pumpkin & habanero puree, pickled zucchini, apple wafer, smoked tomato & Guajillo salt
Ingredients
Serves 12 canape portions prep time 20-40 mins
scallops 24
limes 4 med size
pumpkin 1/4 med size pumpkin
zuchini 2 large
cherry tomato 12
apple 1 granny smith
Guajillo chilli 1 dry
salt & pepper to taste
cream 2tbspn
butter 1tbspn
Mango Habanero Hot Sauce 2 tbspn
nutmeg 1/4 tspn
radish cress garnish
Method
1. Get some fresh scallops from your local fish market, i wouldn’t recommend using frozen.
– Place scallops in small container and cover with lime juice and chill. Leave to cure for 2-4 hours depending on size.
2. Smoke your halved tomato over some fruit wood ( we used cherry) for about 30 mins. Check our guide to smoking here(coming soon). Don’t worry if you have not got access to a smoker we can teach you how to improvise one, or you can skip this step altogether.
3.Thinly slice zucchini and place in metal bowl.
– Bring your pickling liquid to the boil then pour over zucchini and set aside. Ideally leave overnight or for at least 30 mins.
– You can make a basic pickling liquid with vinegar, water, Salt & sugar. Add other ingredients for flavour eg. fennel seed, star anise, ginger, peppercorns, bay leaves, cumin seed, cardamon pods etc…..
4. Lightly toast your guajillo chilli quickly in a med hot pan until it just starts to puff. Set aside until it feels brittle, split and remove seeds.
– Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle grind the guajillo with some salt
– You can sub the guajillo for any type of dry chilli
5. Cut pumpkin into cubes and simmer in salted water until soft.
– Drain the pumpkin of all water and return to pot on low heat to dry it out a bit.
– Add nutmeg, cream, butter, hot sauce, pepper and some of the guajillo salt to pumpkin
– mash the mixture and then pass through strainer until smooth, adjust consistency and heat as needed.
6. Plating up Lay down the zucchini, spoon on pumpkin puree, place scallops and tomato on top, sprinkle with remaining guajillo salt, garnish with thinly sliced apple sticks and radish cress……..easy