Found Oyster shared their scallop tostada recipe, and you should make it this weekend.
PLUS: everything a foodie needs to survive an Airbnb's random kitchen.
When anybody asks me what to eat in LA, one restaurant name tumbles out of my mouth before I even have time to think about it: FOUND OYSTER. It’s not new. Not a hole-in-wall. People rave about it, and rightly so.
I dream of their crudo, and their scallop tostada is absolutely iconic. A perfectly toasted tortilla, layered with a generous portion of raw scallops, topped with a vibrant vinaigrette, plus subtle spice to cut through the buttery fish, garnished with cilantro stems: every celebration deserves one. My sister’s already a big fan, so when she announced a group trip to celebrate her and her husband’s 40th birthdays, I knew I had to make them. But how would I replicate the recipe?
Fortunately for me, the Found Oyster chef, Ari Kolender, alongside Noah Galuten, just released a cookbook WITH THE SCALLOP TOSTADA RECIPE. Thank god, because there’s no way I could’ve guessed the key ingredients in the vinaigrette: grated apple and yuzu kosho???? The yuzu kosho is a game changer and I’m thrilled to have it in my fridge for future recipes.
Found’s scallop tostada is the perfect dish to really impress a crowd. The vinaigrette can be made ahead. Same with frying the tortillas. Armed with a solid mise en place, it’s an easy (and impressive) assembly. I did an initial test before the trip — I got the scallops and Thai basil from my favorite shop, McCall’s in Atwater. I soon realized that slicing raw scallop is harder than it looks and I needed to sharpen my knife. The recipe calls for generously seasoning the tostada, but I took that WAY overboard (no pun intended) on my first try. I also realized that it was less about the specific measurements and more about tasting as you go. The sweetness of your apple will influence how much yuzu kosho you should add—yuzu kosho is really spicy.
My biggest hurdle for the group trip version was figuring out where to source the scallops. Unfortunately, Lake Havasu City did not have a McCall’s, or a McCall’s equivalent, so I was gonna need to get them frozen ahead of time, and let them thaw upon arrival. I went with a Whole Foods version, making sure they were labeled as ‘Dry’ and ‘Diver’ just like the cookbook instructs. While they weren’t as spectacular as the McCall’s scallops, they did the trick!!
Found Oyster’s Scallop Tostadas
Recipe as published in: “How to Cook the Finest Things in the Sea: Broil, Bake, Poach & Grill Your Way to Exceptional Fish & Shellfish”
Canola, peanut, or similar oil, for frying
Two 6-inch (15 cm) corn tortillas
Kosher salt
A firm, tart, crisp red apple, preferably Honeycrisp
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1½ tablespoons mirin
½ teaspoon green yuzu kosho (see Resources, page 310), plus more as needed
3 to 3½ ounces (85 to 100 g) scallops, preferably 10/20
dry-packed diver scallops
1 tablespoon olive oil
Flaky sea salt
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro stems (see Note)
About 10 leaves Thai or opal basil (keeping any little basil buds that are attached to the stems)
Line a plate with a paper towel. Fill a skillet with oil to a depth of 1 inch (2.5 cm) and heat the oil to 325°F (163°C).
Fry a tortilla, flipping it over every 30 seconds to help keep it nice and flat. Once the tortilla is a light gold color and not releasing bubbles, about 2 minutes, transfer it to the paper towel and season it immediately on both sides with kosher salt. Repeat with the other tortilla.
Finely grate the apple (the skin is okay) to get 1 tablespoon and add it to a medium bowl. (Save the rest of the apple for another use.) Add the lime juice, mirin, and yuzu kosho and mix until well combined. Taste it for seasoning and add more yuzu kosho if you want the dressing a little spicier.
Set the bowl in the refrigerator, covered, to keep cold until serving. (It will keep for up to 3 days.)
When ready to serve, slice the scallops into pieces ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Carefully break the tortillas in half to make for easier sharing and place each broken tortilla on its own plate (or place half on each plate if you are serving four). Evenly disperse the sliced scallops over the tortilla pieces, then pour the yuzu vinaigrette over all of the scallops. Drizzle them with the olive oil and sprinkle with some flaky sea salt. Garnish the whole of the tostadas with the cilantro stems and crumble any basil buds over the tostadas.
Tear any large basil leaves in half and arrange them, as well as the small leaves, on top of the scallops (you really can't add too much), sprinkling any extras over the rest of the tostadas.
Serve immediately.
Mary’s tip: make extra vinaigrette to use on fish tacos the next day!!!!
Non-negotiable packing list for every foodie surviving an Airbnb:
Speaking of cooking on group trips… no Airbnb that claims their kitchen is ‘fully stocked’ is actually fully stocked. They always have weird salt, a collection of melted spatulas, and at least a few nonstick pans that have seen better days. It’s not like I want to bring my entire kitchen, but bringing at least a few quality tools/ingredients will make cooking in a random Airbnb in a random town SO MUCH EASIER. Here’s my curated packing list of non-negotiables:
My chef’s knife (ideally freshly sharpened ahead of time)
Roll of tin foil
Good olive oil
Pepper
Chili Oil
Lemons
In case this post finds its way to Found Oyster, I just want to thank you for being my special place in this city. Thank you for your comforting menu staples, the thrilling new additions (the blueberry ice cream in particular), and hiring the kindest people. You inspire me to keep cooking.
Happy Eating!
xx,
Mary