Pan-Seared Day-Boat Scallops with...Pan-Seared Day-Boat Scallops with Sunchoke Velouté & Black Truffle

Perfectly caramelized U10 day-boat scallops resting on a silky sunchoke velouté, finished with freshly shaved Perigord black truffles and a nutty hazelnut-brown butter emulsion.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   In a small saucepan, melt 20g of butter over medium heat. Add the minced shallots and smashed garlic, sweating them until translucent and fragrant (approx. 3 minutes).

2. 02

   Add the chopped sunchokes and stock to the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sunchokes are completely fork-tender (about 12-15 minutes).

3. 03

   Transfer the sunchokes and cooking liquid to a high-speed blender. Add 50ml of heavy cream and 20g of cold butter. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, glossy, and velvety. Season with fine sea salt and white pepper, then pass through a fine-mesh chinois. Keep warm.

4. 04

   To make the hazelnut-brown butter emulsion, melt 50g of butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl constantly until the milk solids turn a deep golden brown and release a toasted, nutty aroma. Remove from heat immediately, stir in the hazelnut oil and a pinch of salt, then set aside in a warm place.

5. 05

   Thoroughly pat the scallops dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with kosher salt just before searing.

6. 06

   Heat grapeseed oil in a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed stainless steel skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Carefully add the scallops, leaving ample space between them. Sear undisturbed for 2 minutes to form a deep, golden-brown crust.

7. 07

   Flip the scallops, then immediately add the remaining 10g of butter to the pan. Tilt the skillet and baste the scallops with the foaming butter for an additional 30 to 45 seconds. Immediately transfer the scallops to a warm plate to rest.

8. 08

   To plate, spoon a generous pool of the warm sunchoke velouté into the center of two shallow heated bowls. Arrange three scallops elegantly on top of the velouté. Drizzle the warm hazelnut-brown butter emulsion around the plate. Generously shave fresh black truffle over the scallops, and garnish with crushed hazelnuts and fresh chervil. Serve immediately.