Pan-Seared King Oyster 'Scallops'...Pan-Seared King Oyster 'Scallops' with Sunchoke Silk & Hazelnut-Truffle Crumble

An elegant plant-based masterpiece featuring tender, caramelized king oyster mushroom medallions served over a velvety sunchoke purée, finished with a toasted hazelnut and black truffle crumble.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the mushroom 'scallops' by scoring a shallow crosshatch pattern on both flat cut sides of each medallion. Season lightly with salt and set aside on paper towels to draw out excess moisture.

2. 02

   To make the sunchoke silk, combine the chopped sunchokes, oat milk, and one crushed garlic clove in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook until the sunchokes are completely fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes.

3. 03

   Transfer the tender sunchokes and a splash of the warm oat milk into a high-speed blender. Add 30g of vegan butter and blend on high until completely smooth and velvety. Season with salt to taste, pass through a fine-mesh chinois if necessary, and keep warm.

4. 04

   Prepare the crumble by tossing the chopped, toasted hazelnuts with the black truffle oil, a tiny pinch of finely chopped fresh thyme leaves, and a touch of Maldon salt. Set aside.

5. 05

   Heat a heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of neutral oil. Place the mushroom medallions scored-side down in the hot pan. Sear undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until a deep, golden-brown crust forms. Flip and repeat on the other side.

6. 06

   Reduce the heat to medium. Deglaze the pan with the dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits. Add the remaining 30g of vegan butter, the second crushed garlic clove, and the thyme sprigs to the pan. Tilt the pan and continuously baste the mushrooms with the foaming butter for 2 minutes to infuse.

7. 07

   To plate, spoon a generous pool of the warm sunchoke silk onto the center of each warmed plate. Arrange three basted mushroom medallions on top of the purée. Spoon a little of the warm pan-basting juices over the mushrooms.

8. 08

   Garnish with the hazelnut-truffle crumble, a sprinkle of flaky Maldon sea salt, and delicate micro amaranth greens. Serve immediately.