Pan-Seared U10 Scallops with...Pan-Seared U10 Scallops with Sunchoke Velvet, Hazelnut Beurre Noisette, and Black Truffle Caviar

Plump, caramelized dayboat scallops served over an earth-sweet sunchoke purée, drizzled with a nutty hazelnut brown butter and finished with luxurious black truffle pearls.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped sunchokes, whole milk, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the sunchokes are completely fork-tender.

2. 02

   Strain the sunchokes, reserving the cooking liquid. Transfer the sunchokes to a high-speed blender. Add 50g of cold unsalted butter and a splash of the reserved cooking liquid. Blend on high until a completely smooth, velvety purée forms. Pass through a fine chinois sieve, season with white pepper and fleur de sel, and keep warm.

3. 03

   To make the hazelnut beurre noisette, melt 30g of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl constantly until the butter foams, turns a rich golden-amber color, and smells intensely nutty. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the chopped toasted hazelnuts, lemon juice, and a pinch of fleur de sel. Set aside in a warm place.

4. 04

   Thoroughly pat the scallops dry with paper towels. Season both flat sides generously with fleur de sel.

5. 05

   Heat the grapeseed oil in a heavy-bottomed cast-iron or carbon steel skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke. Place the scallops in the pan, leaving ample space between them. Sear undisturbed for exactly 2 minutes to develop a deep, golden-brown caramelized crust.

6. 06

   Flip the scallops. Add the remaining 20g of butter to the pan. As the butter foams, tilt the pan slightly and spoon the hot butter over the scallops continuously for 1 minute. Transfer the scallops immediately to a warm plate lined with paper towels to rest for 1 minute.

7. 07

   To plate, spoon a generous pool of warm sunchoke velvet onto the center of each plate. Artfully arrange three scallops on top of the purée. Drizzle the warm hazelnut beurre noisette around the plate. Crown each scallop with a small spoonful of black truffle caviar, and garnish with micro-greens.