Scallop Ceviche with Apple and Yuzu

Method

1. For the pickle, bring the water, sugar, salt, thyme and vinegar to a simmer, stirring until dissolved, then let it cool completely.
2. For the purée, peel, core and roughly slice the 3 apples and toss them with the lemon juice.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, add the apples, cover and cook for 10–15 minutes, until soft.
4. Uncover and cook for 3–5 minutes more, stirring, until all the liquid has gone; do not let the apples colour.
5. Season with the sugar, blend until smooth, press through the sieve and refrigerate.
6. Cut thin 2 mm discs from one half of the unpeeled pickling apple and, if you like, trim them into neat circles with the cutter.
7. Scoop small balls from the other half with the melon baller.
8. Put the discs and balls in a zip-lock bag, pour in the cold pickle, squeeze out all the air, seal and refrigerate for 1 hour.
9. Peel the cucumber, halve it, scrape out the seeds and cut it into 1 cm dice.
10. Put the cucumber in a zip-lock bag with the olive oil and salt, squeeze out the air, seal and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
11. Put the scallops in the freezer for 20–30 minutes, until firm but not frozen.
12. Toast the walnuts in the dry pan over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, then chop them.
13. Finely grate the lime zest, then cut off the peel and pith, cut out the segments and cut each one into small pieces.
14. Mix the yuzu dressing with the yuzu juice.
15. Slice each scallop horizontally into 4 thin discs and season them lightly with flaky salt.
16. Spoon some apple purée onto each plate and arrange the scallop slices over and around it.
17. Add the drained apple discs and balls, the cucumber, lime pieces and walnuts.
18. Spoon the dressing over just before serving and finish with the lime zest and coriander cress.

1. Pickled apple: bring the water, sugar, salt, thyme and white wine vinegar to a simmer, then cool the liquid down over ice. Place the apple discs and the apple balls in separate vacuum bags with the liquid and vacuum seal them tight, but not too tight.
2. Compressed cucumber: peel the cucumber and compress it in a vacuum bag with olive oil and salt.
3. Scallops: slice each scallop into 4. They are easiest to cut when semi-frozen.
4. Lime segments: peel and segment the limes, then cut each segment into neat small pieces.
5. Walnuts: toast and chop the walnuts.
6. Yuzu dressing: mix the yuzu dressing and yuzu juice together, 3 parts dressing to 1 part juice.
7. Apple purée: peel 10 Granny Smith apples and roll them in ascorbic acid or lemon juice so they do not go brown. Cut them into quarters, remove the cores and slice roughly.
8. Warm a pan over low heat and add 30 g of butter. Cook the apples slowly in the butter with a lid on until soft. Remove the lid and keep cooking until all the liquid has gone. Season with sugar. Do not let the purée color or burn.
9. Purée the apples in a Thermomix until smooth, pass through a fine sieve and check the seasoning.
10. To plate, bring together the scallops, compressed cucumber, pickled apple, lime segments, walnuts, yuzu dressing and apple purée, and finish with lime zest and coriander cress.

The dish in the photograph was cooked by the restaurant for this story. Photo: Oleksandr Slyadnyev.