Fennel Pollen Dusted Scallops Recipe

Cook parsnips

Place the parsnip pieces in a medium saucepan and add the milk and heavy cream so the parsnips are mostly submerged. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until parsnips are very tender, about 18–22 minutes.

Puree

Drain parsnips, reserving about 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Transfer parsnips to a blender or use an immersion blender. Add butter, reserved cooking liquid as needed, salt, white pepper, and lemon juice. Purée until perfectly smooth. Adjust consistency with milk or cream (add up to 2 tbs) and check seasoning. Keep warm, or chill and rewarm gently before plating.

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together blood orange juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey. Slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust balance (add a touch more honey if too tart). Reserve 1 tablespoon for the salad and the remainder for plating accents.

Blanch dill fronds and chives in boiling water for 10 seconds, then immediately shock in ice water to preserve color. Drain well and squeeze out excess moisture using paper towels. In a blender or food processor, combine blanched herbs, neutral oil, and salt. Blend until smooth and bright green, about 30–45 seconds. Pass through a fine mesh sieve or chinois, pressing to extract oil. Transfer to a small squeeze bottle or bowl. Chill briefly; bring to room temperature before serving.

Place shaved fennel and radish slices in a bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon blood orange vinaigrette and a pinch of salt. Let sit 5–10 minutes to soften slightly. Toss again with microgreens or baby dill if using. Keep chilled until plating.

Prepare scallops

Pat scallops completely dry with paper towels. Remove and discard the small side muscle if present. Season lightly with 1 tsp fine sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, sprinkling evenly.

Dust with fennel pollen

Place fennel pollen on a small plate. Lightly press each scallop into the fennel pollen so both top and sides have a thin, even coating. Shake off any excess pollen.

Sear scallops

Heat a large stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add neutral oil and swirl to coat. Place scallops in the pan spaced apart (work in two batches if needed). Sear without moving for 1.5 to 2 minutes until a deep golden crust forms. Flip scallops, add 2 tbs butter, and baste by tilting the pan and spooning melted butter over the tops for another 45–60 seconds until just cooked through (opaque center). Transfer scallops to a plate and let rest 1 minute.

Warm the parsnip purée if chilled. On each plate (serves 4), smear 1/4 cup parsnip purée slightly off-center using the back of a spoon.

Place three scallops on each purée smear, spacing them evenly. Spoon a few small droplets of blood orange vinaigrette around the scallops for brightness and color.

Dot or lightly streak dill-chive oil around the purée and scallops for herbaceous aroma. Place a small mound (about 1 tablespoon) of the shaved fennel and radish salad beside the scallops.

Finish by sprinkling a very light dusting (about 1/8 tsp per plate) of fennel pollen over the scallops and plate. Add a small grind of black pepper if desired and serve with a lemon wedge.