Pan-Seared King Oyster 'Scallops'...Pan-Seared King Oyster 'Scallops' with Sunchoke Purée and Truffle-Hazelnut Emulsion

An elegant, Michelin-caliber plant-based masterpiece featuring caramelized king oyster medallions over a velvety, vanilla-infused Jerusalem artichoke purée, accented with pickled shimeji and a luxurious truffle-hazelnut emulsion.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the pickled shimeji: In a small saucepan, bring the white balsamic vinegar, 50ml of water, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of sugar to a simmer. Pour the hot liquid over the shimeji mushrooms and let them cool completely in the liquid.

2. 02

   For the purée: In a medium saucepan, combine the diced sunchokes, oat milk, scraped vanilla seeds and pod, and a pinch of salt. Simmer gently over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until the sunchokes are completely tender. Discard the vanilla pod.

3. 03

   Transfer the tender sunchokes and their cooking liquid to a high-speed blender. Add 30g of vegan butter and blend on high until absolutely silk-smooth. Season with white pepper and salt to taste, then keep warm.

4. 04

   Score the top and bottom of the king oyster mushroom medallions in a light, shallow crosshatch pattern. Season both sides with fine sea salt.

5. 05

   Heat a heavy-bottomed cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 20g of vegan butter. Once foaming, sear the mushroom 'scallops' for 3-4 minutes on each side until deeply caramelized and golden brown, basting continuously with the melted butter.

6. 06

   For the emulsion: Warm the vegetable stock in a small saucepan. Whisk in the hazelnut oil and white truffle oil. Use an immersion blender at the surface of the liquid to aerate it until a light, fragrant foam forms.

7. 07

   To plate: Spoon a generous pool of warm sunchoke purée onto the center of each shallow bowl. Arrange three seared mushroom 'scallops' on top of the purée. Intersperse with the drained pickled shimeji and crushed hazelnuts. Spoon the truffle-hazelnut emulsion foam around the dish, then garnish with micro-herbs and a touch of flaky sea salt.