Seared scallops with sunchokes, seven herb salad and truffles
Sunchoke puree
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup thinly sliced leek, white only
Kosher salt and pepper
1 ½ cups peeled and thinly sliced Jerusalem artichokes
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper, cover with parchment and cook 5 minutes, or until tender.
Add the Jerusalem artichokes and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the cream, cover again with parchment and cook 10 minutes, or until the artichokes are tender.
Puree in a blender with the lemon juice until very smooth. Adjust seasonings.
7 herb salad
1 tablespoon minced chives
2 tablespoons parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chervil leaves
2 tablespoons mint leaves
2 tablespoons celery leaves
1 tablespoon basil
1 teaspoon tarragon leaves
1 cup water cress leaves
Supremes of ½ Meyer lemon cut into dice
Mix everything together and dress with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a and some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Scallops
1 pound dry sea scallops, 1 to 1 ½ inches across, tough muscles removed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Season the scallops with salt and white pepper. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. When the oil is very hot, almost at the smoking point, add the scallops in a single layer, with at least ½ inch of space between them, and allow them to cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook the second side. They should still be slightly translucent in the center.
Put a spoonful of sunchoke puree in the center of each of 4 plates. Set the scallops on top. Top with herb salad. Garnish with sunchoke chips and shaved truffles.
Jerusalem artichoke chips
¼ pound Jerusalem artichokes
2 cups vegetable frying oil
Kosher salt
Heat the oil in a deep sided pot to 300°F.
Scrub the artichokes and slice paper thin on a mandolin.
Add the artichoke slices and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Sprinkle with salt when cool.


