Pan-Seared U10 Scallops with...Pan-Seared U10 Scallops with Sunchoke Silk and Yuzu-Noisette

Pristine dayboat scallops caramelized to perfection, served over a velvety sunchoke purée, accented with smoky leek ash and a bright, nutty yuzu-brown butter emulsion.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Wash and thoroughly dry the green leek tops. Roast them on a baking sheet until completely blackened and charred, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then grind in a spice grinder into a fine powder (leek ash). Sift and set aside.

2. 02

   In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped sunchokes, heavy cream, and 50g of unsalted butter. Simmer gently 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 sea salt and pass through a fine chinois; keep warm.

3. 03

   For the yuzu-noisette, melt the remaining 100g of butter in a small light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Swirl constantly until the milk solids turn a deep golden brown and release a nutty aroma. Immediately remove from heat, transfer to a bowl to stop the cooking, let cool slightly, then whisk in the fresh yuzu juice to form a broken emulsion.

4. 04

   Pat the scallops absolutely dry using paper towels. Season only one side of the scallops generously with sea salt flakes.

5. 05

   Heat the grapeseed oil in a heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Place the scallops in the pan, seasoned-side down, ensuring space between them. Sear undisturbed for 2 minutes to build a deep, golden-brown crust.

6. 06

   Flip the scallops and sear the other side for exactly 30 seconds. Remove from the skillet immediately and let rest on a warm plate for 1 minute.

7. 07

   To plate, spoon a generous pool of the warm sunchoke purée onto the center of two heated plates. Using a fine sieve, dust a delicate line of leek ash across the purée. Place three scallops atop the purée. Spoon the yuzu-noisette emulsion around the plate and garnish the scallops with micro red shiso leaves.