Pan-Seared Scallops with Sunchoke...Pan-Seared Scallops with Sunchoke Velouté and Shiso-Citrus Oil

Pristine U-10 dayboat scallops caramelized to perfection, set over a silky sunchoke velouté, finished with a vibrant shiso-citrus oil and toasted hazelnut crumble.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the Shiso Oil: Blanch the shiso leaves in a pot of boiling salted water for 10 seconds. Immediately plunge them into ice water to lock in the vibrant green color. Drain, squeeze out all excess moisture thoroughly with cheesecloth, and blend on high speed with 100ml of grapeseed oil for 2 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh chinois lined with a coffee filter, and set aside.

2. 02

   To make the Velouté: Melt 50g of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced shallots and sweat until translucent, about 3 minutes without coloring. Add the sliced sunchokes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously.

3. 03

   Pour the vegetable stock and heavy cream over the sunchokes. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the sunchokes are completely tender, approximately 15 minutes. Transfer to a high-speed blender, process until ultra-smooth, season with salt and white pepper, then strain through a chinois. Keep warm.

4. 04

   Prepare the scallops: Remove the tough side muscle from each scallop. Pat them meticulously dry using paper towels. Season both flat sides generously with fleur de sel.

5. 05

   Sear the scallops: Heat a heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet over high heat with the remaining 20ml of grapeseed oil until shimmering. Place the scallops in the pan, ensuring they do not touch. Sear undisturbed for 2 minutes to develop a deep, golden-brown crust.

6. 06

   Flip the scallops, then immediately add the remaining 50g of butter, the smashed garlic clove, and the thyme sprig to the pan. Tilt the pan and continuously baste the scallops with the foaming hot butter for exactly 1 minute. Transfer scallops to a wire rack to rest for 1 minute.

7. 07

   Assemble the dish: Spoon a pool of warm sunchoke velouté into the center of two shallow heated bowls. Arrange three seared scallops atop the velouté. Drizzle the vibrant green shiso oil elegantly around the purée, and garnish with the toasted hazelnut crumble and fresh micro herbs if desired. Serve immediately.