Pan-Seared Hokkaido Scallops with...Pan-Seared Hokkaido Scallops with Sunchoke Velouté & Black Truffle

Perfectly caramelized U-10 scallops nestled on a silky sunchoke purée, finished with fresh shaved black truffle, samphire, and an airy brown butter foam.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   For the Sunchoke Velouté: In a small saucepan, combine the diced sunchokes, heavy cream, and 50g of unsalted butter. Simmer over medium-low heat until the sunchokes are completely tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a high-speed blender and process until silky smooth. Season with fleur de sel and pass through a fine chinois. Keep warm.

2. 02

   For the Brown Butter Foam: Melt 100g of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling constantly, until the milk solids turn golden brown and release a nutty aroma. Immediately add the minced shallots and deglaze with the white wine. Simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, season with a pinch of salt, and set aside. Just before plating, use an immersion blender to aerate the warm liquid, creating a light, frothy foam on the surface.

3. 03

   For the Samphire: Bring a small pot of unsalted water to a boil. Blanch the samphire for 30 seconds, then immediately plunge into ice water to preserve its vibrant green color and snap. Drain and pat dry.

4. 04

   For the Scallops: Pat the scallops absolutely dry using paper towels. Season both sides with fleur de sel. Heat the grapeseed oil in a heavy cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the scallops, leaving ample space between them. Sear without moving for 90 seconds to develop a deep, golden-brown crust. Flip, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan, baste the tops for 30 seconds, and immediately transfer to a warm, paper towel-lined plate.

5. 05

   Plating: Spoon a generous pool of warm sunchoke velouté in the center of two heated shallow bowls. Arrange three pan-seared scallops on top. Garnish artfully with the blanched samphire. Using a mandoline or truffle shaver, shave thin slices of fresh black truffle over the scallops. Spoon the airy brown butter foam around the plate and serve immediately.