Pan-Seared Scallops with Sunchoke...Pan-Seared Scallops with Sunchoke Silk & Hazelnut-Brown Butter Emulsion

Perfectly caramelized dry-packed U10 scallops nestled on a velvety sunchoke purée, accompanied by crispy roasted maitake mushrooms and finished with a nutty, frothy hazelnut-brown butter emulsion.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   For the Sunchoke Silk: In a small saucepan, combine the sliced sunchokes, heavy cream, milk, and a pinch of fine sea salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and cook until the sunchokes are completely tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the warm liquid.

2. 02

   Transfer the tender sunchokes to a high-speed blender with 20g of butter. Blend on high until completely smooth, adding the reserved cooking liquid splash by splash as needed to achieve a silky, pourable consistency. Pass through a fine-mesh chinois (sieve). Season to taste with salt and keep warm in a water bath.

3. 03

   For the Maitake Mushrooms: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss the maitake clusters with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 12-15 minutes until the edges are beautifully browned and crispy. Keep warm.

4. 04

   For the Hazelnut-Brown Butter Emulsion: In a small saucepan, melt 50g of butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling constantly, until the foam subsides and the milk solids turn a deep golden brown and smell intensely nutty. Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the chicken stock, lemon juice, and grated hazelnuts. Season with a pinch of salt. Just before serving, aerate with an immersion blender to create a light foam.

5. 05

   For the Scallops: Thoroughly pat the scallops dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with fine sea salt just before cooking. Heat the grapeseed oil in a cast-iron pan over high heat until wisps of smoke begin to rise.

6. 06

   Add the scallops to the pan, ensuring they do not touch. Sear undisturbed for 2 minutes to develop a deep, golden-brown crust. Flip the scallops, immediately add the remaining 20g of butter, thyme, and garlic to the pan. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the scallops continuously for 1 minute. Transfer the scallops to a warm plate lined with paper towels to rest for 1 minute.

7. 07

   To Plate: Spoon a generous pool of the warm sunchoke silk in the center of two heated plates. Arrange three scallops elegantly atop the purée. Nestle the crispy roasted maitake mushrooms between the scallops. Spoon the frothy hazelnut-brown butter emulsion around the plate, garnish with micro-chervil, and finish with a sprinkle of Fleur de sel on each scallop.