Fresh scallops are wonderful when sliced finely and served as part of a ceviche. The sour squash for this unique Leche de Tigre is made by lacto-fermenting cubed squash in salt. You can skip this step by combining some rice vinegar, fish stock or sauce, and lime juice with a cooked squash puree.
Scallop Ceviche with Sour Squash Leche de Tigre
Fresh scallops are wonderful when sliced finely and served as part of a ceviche. The sour squash for this unique Leche de Tigre is made by lacto-fermenting cubed squash in salt. You can skip this step by combining some rice vinegar, fish stock or sauce, and lime juice with a cooked squash puree.
Ingredients
For the Fermented Squash:
- 16 oz Butternut Squash, (rind removed, flesh cut into 1” cubes)
- 11 g Kosher salt
For the Fermented Squash Leche de Tigre:
- ¼ cup fermented squash ( pureed)
- 2 Tbsp Aji Amarillo paste
- Zest of 2 limes
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 small garlic clove, (finely minced)
- 3 Tbsp of homemade fish stock, ( or 2 tsp fish sauce)
- Kosher salt, to taste
For the Remaining Ceviche Components:
- 16 oz (1 lb) fresh sea scallops, (sliced thinly)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, (finely chopped)
- ½ small red onion, ( thinly sliced)
- ¼ fresh jalapeno, ( thinly sliced)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
For the Fermented Squash:
- Coat the cubed squash in the Kosher salt, and place in a large freezer-safe ziplock bag.
- Remove all the air from the bag that you can, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature overnight.
- Remove the air from the bag again the following day, mix the squash around, and carefully re-seal the bag and wait for another day.
- *The fermentation with release CO2, which will fill the bag with air. Make sure you don’t forget about your fermenting squash!
- Repeat this process for 5 days, until the squash is soft, and has taken on a strong fermented odor.
- Place in the fridge in an airtight container, and use over the next few weeks.
For the Fermented Squash Leche de Tigre:
- Puree ¼ cup of the fermented squash you made earlier.
- Add the Aji Amarillo paste, lime zest, lime juice, minced garlic, fish stock or fish sauce, and Kosher salt to taste.
For the Remaining Ceviche Components:
- Finely slice the fresh sea scallops.
- Combine the scallops with the Leche de Tigre, chopped cilantro, and finely-sliced red onions and jalapeno.
- Allow the mixture to sit for an hour in the fridge before serving.
- Taste the mixture, and add additional lime or salt as desired.
Notes
This dish is best prepared an hour or so in advance of being served. After a day or two of sitting in the marinade, the scallops will take on a less desirable, chewier texture.