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Scallop Aguachile

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Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott

Aguachile, literally meaning chile water, is traditionally made with chiles, cilantro, onion, lime, and, yeah, water. This sauce has all that except with juicy, acidic tomatillos replacing the water. What you end up with is a thin, spoonable sauce to douse the seafood in.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

4 tomatillos (about 6 ounces), husks removed, rinsed, coarsely chopped
1 serrano chile or jalapeño, seeds removed, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ small white onion, thinly sliced into rings, divided
½ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems, plus more for serving
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
12 ounces sea scallops (about 12), side muscle removed
½ hothouse English cucumber, thinly sliced
Olive oil (for drizzling)
Flaky sea salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Process tomatillos, chile, lime juice, half of onion, and ½ cup cilantro in a food processor until a not completely smooth, spoonable sauce forms (you should still be able to see flecks of cilantro). Season with kosher salt and pepper.

    Step 2

    Thinly slice scallops crosswise into thirds so you’ve got three thin, round slices out of each scallop. Divide among shallow bowls and spoon some sauce over and around scallops. Top with cucumber, remaining onion, and more cilantro. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 80
Fat (g) 1
Saturated Fat (g) 0
Cholesterol (mg) 20
Carbohydrates (g) 8
Dietary Fiber (g)1
Total Sugars (g) 3
Protein (g) 11
Sodium (mg) 340
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