Scallops Recipe

Cook sunchokes

Place peeled, diced sunchokes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer, then cook until very tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain well, reserving about 30 ml of cooking liquid.

Purée

Transfer the drained sunchokes to a blender or use an immersion blender. Add milk, butter, heavy cream, salt, and white pepper. Purée until completely smooth, adding reserved cooking liquid a tablespoon at a time if the purée is too thick. Adjust seasoning to taste. Keep warm over very low heat or in a warm oven (lowest setting).

Prepare potatoes

Trim each peeled potato into a 1½–2 inch cylinder (use the trimmed pieces for another use). Pat dry and season all sides lightly with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper.

Brown and roast

Heat a heavy oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. When foaming, add the potatoes flat-side down and brown until deep golden, about 4–5 minutes per side; roll to brown all sides (total 10–12 minutes). Add the smashed garlic clove, thyme sprigs, and pour in the stock so it comes about halfway up the potatoes. Bring to a simmer, then transfer the skillet to a preheated 200°C (400°F) oven and roast until potatoes are tender and stock is mostly absorbed, about 25–30 minutes. Remove garlic and thyme, and keep fondants warm.

Sauté chard stems

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chard stems (if thick) first and sauté for 2 minutes until starting to soften.

Finish chard

Add minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant. Add chopped leaves, sprinkle ½ tsp salt, and toss. Add white wine if using and cook until wilted and just tender, about 2–3 minutes. Finish with lemon zest and adjust seasoning. Keep warm.

Prep scallops

Pat scallops very dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp freshly ground pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.

Sear scallops

Heat a large skillet (preferably stainless steel or cast iron) over high heat until very hot. Add oil and swirl to coat. Place scallops in the skillet, leaving space between them. Sear without moving until a deep golden crust forms, about 1.5–2 minutes. Flip scallops, add 2 tbs butter, and baste for another 1–1.5 minutes until cooked through but still tender (internal ~50–55°C / 122–131°F). Remove scallops to a plate and squeeze lemon juice over them.

On each plate, spoon a generous smear of warm sunchoke purée as the base (about 3–4 tbs). Place a potato fondant piece slightly off-center on the purée.

Arrange 3 scallops atop or beside the fondant (for 12 scallops, serve 3 per person) and tuck a small mound of sautéed Swiss chard beside them.

Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil around the plate, sprinkle sea salt flakes over scallops and fondant, and garnish with microgreens or chopped chives. Serve immediately.