Pan-Seared Dayboat Scallops with...Pan-Seared Dayboat Scallops with Sunchoke Purée and Hazelnut Beurre Noisette

An elegant, Michelin-caliber dish featuring caramelized U10 scallops over a velvety sunchoke purée, finished with a nutty brown butter emulsion and quick-pickled shimeji mushrooms.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   For the pickled mushrooms: In a small saucepan, combine white wine vinegar, 50ml water, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil until sugar dissolves, then pour the hot liquid over the trimmed shimeji mushrooms. Let cool to room temperature.

2. 02

   For the sunchoke purée: In a small saucepan, combine the chopped sunchokes, heavy cream, 20g of butter, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cover and cook until sunchokes are completely fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

3. 03

   Purée the sunchokes: Transfer the sunchoke mixture to a high-speed blender. Blend on high until completely smooth and velvety. Pass through a fine-mesh chinois for an ultra-refined texture. Keep warm.

4. 04

   For the hazelnut beurre noisette: Melt 50g of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl constantly until the milk solids turn a deep golden brown and yield a nutty aroma. Immediately remove from heat, stir in the chopped hazelnuts, and transfer to a cool bowl to stop the cooking process. Season with a pinch of salt.

5. 05

   Prepare the scallops: Pat the scallops completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with sea salt just before cooking.

6. 06

   Sear the scallops: Heat grapeseed oil in a heavy-bottomed stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Carefully place the scallops in the pan, ensuring they do not touch. Sear undisturbed for 2 minutes to develop a deep, golden-brown crust.

7. 07

   Baste the scallops: Flip the scallops. Immediately add the remaining 30g of butter to the pan. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the scallops for 1 minute. Transfer the scallops to a paper-towel-lined plate to rest for 1 minute.

8. 08

   Plate the dish: Spoon a generous pool of warm sunchoke purée onto the center of two warmed plates. Arrange three scallops on top of the purée. Drizzle the hazelnut brown butter around the plate. Garnish elegantly with the drained pickled shimeji mushrooms and microgreens, finishing with a sprinkle of Fleur de sel.