Scallop Aguachile with Mezcal and Pumpkin Seed Oil
Replace traditional green chiles with the peppery heat of agave spirits in this refreshing riff on the coastal Mexican classic.
- Serves
serves 6
- Time
1 hour
Traditional Mexican aguachile typically includes a chilled serrano- or jalapeño-based sauce—hence the “chile” in name. For this version, wine and spirits expert Tammie Teclemariam replaces that peppery heat with mezcal, whose savory-smoky profile can conjure the effect of a fresh hot chile without overwhelming the sweet, delicate flavor of raw scallops. Pumpkin seed oil and toasted pepitas add richness and an earthy, roasted note, and any leftover spiced seeds make a great snack alongside your favorite mezcal.
Featured in “Make Your Scallops Sing With a Shot of Mezcal.”
Ingredients
For the pickled onions:
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced (¾ cup)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1⁄2 cup white vinegar
For the chile-lime pumpkin seeds:
- 1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp. pumpkin seed oil
- 1 tbsp. Tajín
- 1 tbsp. crushed red chile flakes, such as arbol or péquin
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
For the aguachile:
- 1 packed cup cilantro
- 1 medium English cucumber (1 lb.), peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ¼–½ cups mezcal
To finish:
- 1 lb. chilled sea scallops, abductor muscles removed
- Flaky sea salt
- Pumpkin seed oil, for drizzling
- 5 thinly sliced radishes
- 1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut into small cubes
Instructions
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