Serves 4
Ingredients
Crispy rice
2.2 ml water
235g white rice
235ml canola oil
Ginger oil
118ml canola oil
55g ginger, peeled and julienned
Creamy coconut rice
Olive oil, as needed
226g fresh squid, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced ginger
½ green bell pepper, small diced
1 small to medium spanish onion, small diced
1 plum tomato, grated
1 bay leaf
¼ chile de árbol
2 tbsp white wine
¼ tsp squid ink
235g bomba rice
946ml coconut water
118ml coconut milk
4 scallops, sliced in half crosswise
1 tbsp minced cilantro, plus more for garnish
Tamarind paste, for garnish
2 young coconuts, halved (optional)
Method
Crispy rice
In a medium saucepan, bring the water to the boil. Add the rice and cook until the rice is just past cooked through, for about 20 minutes. Drain the rice and rinse with cold water. Strain the rice and lay it out in thin layers on baking sheets. Store the rice, uncovered, in a dry place at room temperature for 24-48 hours to allow it to dry out.
Once dry, heat the canola oil in a large pot to 175c. Fry the rice until it puffs up and is crunchy, about 1-2 minutes. Drain and set aside ¼ cup for assembly, and store the rest for later use.
Ginger oil
In a small saucepan, heat the oil on low and add the ginger. Cook on low for 2-3 hours to infuse the oil with the ginger. Check frequently to control the heat and make sure the ginger doesn’t burn and impart a spicy flavour. After simmering, strain the oil through a fine mesh strainer to remove any solids. Set aside for plating.
Creamy coconut rice
In a medium sauté pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and add the squid. Sauté until golden brown, remove from the pan and set aside.
In a small saucepan, add the coconut water and heat over a low heat.
In a large sauté pan, add 2 tbsp of olive oil, garlic and ginger. Once all three ingredients have been added to the pan, turn the stove to low and slowly heat the oil. When the garlic starts to ‘dance’, add the diced onion and increase the heat to medium. Cook the onion until translucent, for about 15 to 20 minutes. Once the onion is translucent, add the green pepper and cook for 15-20 minutes more. Add the grated plum tomato, bay leaf and chile de árbol and cook until the tomatoes are caramelised in colour and the liquid has evaporated, for about 15 minutes more.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine and continue to cook over low heat until all of the wine has evaporated. Add the squid ink, stir and add the rice. Cook the rice, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted for 3 minutes.
In ½ cup increments, slowly add the coconut water to the rice, stirring well and letting the rice absorb most of the coconut water after each addition. When all of the coconut water has been added, add the milk. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring constantly. 5 minutes before the rice is finished, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and sear the scallops on each side until golden brown, about 1 minute a side. Set aside for plating.
When the rice is finished, remove from the heat and add the cilantro. Stir well to incorporate.
If using the coconuts, place each half on 4 plates and drizzle each with ¼ tsp of ginger oil. Add ½ cup of the creamy coconut rice to each coconut shell and place 4 slices of scallops on top of each. Garnish the perimeter of each mound of rice with four dots of tamarind paste and finish with cilantro, a drizzle of ginger oil, and 1 tbsp of crispy rice on top. Alternatively, the rice and scallops can be plated in shallow bowls.
Find out more aboutJosé Andrésand about the International Edition.