Seared Sea Scallops with...Seared Sea Scallops with Sunchoke Purée and Black Garlic Bagna Cauda

Perfectly caramelized U10 sea scallops served over a velvety, nutty sunchoke purée, accented by a rich, savory black garlic bagna cauda and crispy guanciale.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   For the sunchoke purée: Place the chopped sunchokes and heavy cream in a saucepan. Add just enough water to cover the sunchokes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the sunchokes are completely fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

2. 02

   Drain the sunchokes, reserving about 50ml of the cooking liquid. Transfer the sunchokes to a high-speed blender. Add 25g of butter and blend until ultra-smooth, adding a splash of the reserved liquid if necessary. Season with sea salt and white pepper, then pass through a fine-mesh chinois. Keep warm.

3. 03

   For the black garlic bagna cauda: In a small food processor, combine the black garlic cloves, anchovy fillets, and extra virgin olive oil. Blend until a smooth, emulsified paste forms. Transfer to a small saucepan and warm gently over low heat. Do not let it boil.

4. 04

   For the guanciale: Render the diced guanciale in a cold skillet over medium heat until crispy and golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

5. 05

   For the scallops: Pat the scallops completely dry with paper towels and season both sides with sea salt. Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet over high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once smoking, add the scallops and sear without moving for 2 minutes to form a deep golden crust. Flip, add the remaining 25g of butter to the pan, and spoon the melted butter over the scallops for 1 minute. Transfer to a warm plate to rest.

6. 06

   To assemble: Spoon a generous pool of warm sunchoke purée onto the center of four warmed plates. Arrange three scallops elegantly on top of the purée. Drizzle the black garlic bagna cauda around the plate. Garnish with the crispy guanciale and micro-basil. Serve immediately.