Citrus scallop ceviche
with l'épicier
- Preparation 20 min
- Refrigeration 4 h
- Servings 4 to 6
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🐚 Prepared ahead, served fresh
When you have Hokkaido giant scallops from L’Épicier in your freezer, you’re never caught off guard when hosting. Yes, it takes 4 hours in the fridge — but that means you can prepare it in the morning and serve it in the evening. Or the day before for the next day. Zero stress, zero cooking, just smart planning.
🎯 Why L’Épicier makes the difference
This ceviche is the perfect example of why I work with L’Épicier. Premium quality scallops, always there, always ready. No need to run to the fish market hoping they have some. No need to watch for specials. Everything is already at home, vacuum-sealed, perfectly preserved.
🍋 Simplicity and wow results
You have just 20 minutes of active prep — cutting, mixing, putting in the fridge — and the rest takes care of itself while you live your life. The citrus does its magic, the scallops become tender, and in the evening you have a restaurant-worthy dish waiting for you.
🏠 Abundance at home
That’s the thing about abundance at home: you can afford to plan refined dishes without running around everywhere. You take your scallops out of the freezer the day before, you take 20 minutes in the morning, and in the evening — you impress everyone.
Perfect for appetizers, perfect for entertaining, perfect to remind you that eating fresh and healthy is just a matter of always having the right products on hand.
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🔪 Pat the scallops completely dry before marinating
Scallops retain a lot of water after rinsing. Patting them with paper towels until completely dry allows the citrus juice to penetrate evenly and prevents diluting the marinade. Wet scallops result in watery and bland ceviche.
📐 Remove the side muscle and membrane
The small tough muscle on the side of the scallop and the translucent membrane become rubbery when marinated. Taking 30 seconds to remove them with your fingers or a small knife guarantees a tender and uniform texture in every bite. It’s a detail that makes all the difference.
⏱ Respect the 4-hour refrigeration time
Four hours is the sweet spot for the acid in the citrus to transform the texture of the scallops without making them mushy. Less than 3 hours and they remain too raw in the center. More than 6 hours and the flesh becomes soft and over-marinated. Timing really matters here.
❄️ Drain 90% of the liquid before adding garnishes
Keeping a bit of citrus juice brings acidity to the final dish, but too much liquid drowns the flavors of tomato, onion and cilantro. Drain generously in a colander, then add the fresh garnishes just before serving for a perfect balance between acidity and crunchy texture.
🔥 Serve immediately after final assembly
Once you’ve mixed the marinated scallops with the fresh garnishes, serve within 15 minutes. The tomato and onion start releasing water over time, which dilutes the ceviche. Last-minute assembly keeps everything crunchy, fresh, and vibrant.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g / 16 oz) Hokkaido giant scallops (size 10-20)
- Juice of 6 limes
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1 tomato, seeded and diced
- 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (125 ml / 4 oz) fresh cilantro, chopped + a bit for serving
- 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
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Preparation
- Rinse, drain and pat dry the scallops with paper towels. Clean the scallops by removing the small side muscle and membrane. Cut into quarters and reserve in a bowl.
- Add the lime juice and orange juice and make sure the juice completely covers them. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Mix from time to time.
- About 15 minutes before the end of marinating, in a large bowl, combine the tomato, red onion, cilantro, pepper flakes and mix.
- Drain 90% of the liquid from the scallops, add the tomato mixture, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and mix gently. Serve immediately and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Absolutely. Raw peeled shrimp, very fresh salmon, or bluefin tuna all work. Adjust marinating time according to thickness — shrimp take 2 to 3 hours, diced fish about 3 hours. Everything must be sushi-grade quality.
Once assembled with fresh garnishes, consume within 2 to 3 hours maximum. The marinated scallops alone (before adding tomato and onion) keep for 24 hours in the fridge. Never freeze ceviche — the texture becomes disastrous.
Keeping all the marinade literally drowns the dish and makes it impossible to appreciate the textures of the fresh garnishes. Draining 90% concentrates the flavors, leaves just enough acidity to coat, and allows the ceviche to hold together on the plate rather than swimming in excess liquid.
No, it’s marinated. The citric acid from the citrus denatures the proteins in the scallops exactly like heat would, changing their texture and appearance. Chemically, it’s different from thermal cooking, but the result is opaque and tender flesh. Always use ultra-fresh sushi-grade scallops.
Yes, but in two steps. Marinate the scallops in the citrus juice the day before and refrigerate covered. The next day, 15 minutes before serving, prepare the tomato and onion mixture, drain the scallops, and assemble. This method keeps everything fresh and crunchy.
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