Pan-Seared U10 Scallops with...Pan-Seared U10 Scallops with Sunchoke Velouté & Brown Butter-Yuzu Emulsion

Perfectly caramelized diver scallops nestled in a velvety sunchoke purée, brightened with pickled chanterelle mushrooms and a luxurious brown butter-yuzu emulsion.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   For the pickled chanterelles, combine white balsamic vinegar, 50ml water, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, dissolve the sugar, then pour the hot liquid over the chanterelles in a heatproof bowl. Let steep and cool to room temperature.

2. 02

   For the sunchoke velouté, melt 50g of unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots and cook until translucent. Add the sliced sunchokes and cook for 5 minutes without allowing them to color.

3. 03

   Deglaze the sunchokes with the dry white wine and reduce by half. Add the heavy cream and the thyme sprig. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes until the sunchokes are completely tender.

4. 04

   Discard the thyme sprig. Transfer the sunchoke mixture to a high-speed blender and process until silky smooth. Season with salt, pass through a fine-mesh chinois into a clean pan, and keep warm.

5. 05

   For the emulsion, melt the remaining 100g of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl constantly until the milk solids turn a deep amber color and release a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer to a heatproof container to stop the cooking process.

6. 06

   In a tall beaker, combine the egg yolk, yuzu juice, and 1 tablespoon of warm water. Using an immersion blender, slowly drizzle in the warm brown butter in a steady stream to create a thick, stable, and airy emulsion. Season with salt and keep warm in a gentle water bath (do not overheat or it will split).

7. 07

   Pat the scallops thoroughly dry using paper towels. Season both sides generously with flaky sea salt. Heat the clarified butter in a heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet over high heat until just smoking.

8. 08

   Place the scallops in the skillet, leaving space between them. Sear undisturbed for 2 minutes to develop a deep, golden-brown crust. Flip the scallops and sear for an additional 45 seconds while basting with the pan butter. Transfer to a warm plate lined with paper towels to rest for 1 minute.

9. 09

   To assemble, spoon a generous pool of warm sunchoke velouté into the center of four pre-warmed shallow bowls. Arrange three seared scallops on top. Drizzle the warm brown butter-yuzu emulsion around the plate, scatter the pickled chanterelles, and garnish with microgreens if desired.