White Soy and Miso Cured Scallops
Inspired by O Ya, Boston, MA
After a number of wonderful restaurant experiences I must admit to feeling inspired to up my game in the kitchen but I’m also trying to keep it light. Cue the scallops. The scallops I get at the Boston Public Market (Thanks Red’s Best!) are so fresh that I will confess to just eating them raw with maybe a squeeze of lemon. But they are also so nice and meaty that they are can handle a little gussying up. In this case I’ve cured them with lemon juice, a touch of white soy and fresh white miso. The scallops are topped with quick pickled onion, sesame brittle (stole this idea from O Ya) and tobiko. White soy is the key in my opinion as it adds a little umami without overpowering the scallops.
- 1 pound sea scallops, side muscle removed, thinly sliced crosswise
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons white soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh sweet white miso
- Salt to taste
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup black or white sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons tobiko*
- 3 tablespoons mint chiffonade
- 3 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
- Bring the vinegars and salt to a boil. Pour over thinly sliced onion. Let cool and strain.
- Heat sugar and honey with a pinch of salt in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat, stirring often, until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in sesame seeds and remove from heat. Pour mixture onto a Silpat lined baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with foil (shiny side up), smoothing top and spreading thin with a metal offset spatula (mixture will be very hot), then cool to room temperature. Break into pieces.
- Whisk the lemon juice, white soy and white miso together. Pour over the scallops and let them marinate for no more than five minutes. Drain. Garnish with pickled onions, bits of sesame brittle, tobiko, mint and scallions and flaky sea salt to taste.
- *Natural tobiko (aka flying fish row) has a red-orange color but it can be infused with natural ingredients to change both its color and flavor. Common variations include squid ink to make it black, yuzu to make it yellow, beet to make it red and wasabi to make it green. Any variation would work well with the scallops.
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