Seared scallops with sunchoke mash & sunchoke soup
Total time to create the dish ~20 minutes.
Recipe:
1 lb fresh scallops (U-10/12) – I came out with 8 monster scallops
2 Tbsp. Safflower oil or other oil with high smoke point
Dried parsley or chervil
3/4 to 1lb sunchokes
2 Tbsp. butter
2 dollops of creme fraiche
1 Tbsp salt
Finely ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
Always go with fresh scallops when available, but if these were frozen, just thaw overnight, on a covered plate. Pre-heat a heavy pan with safflower oil (cast iron or REALLY heavy stainless, NO non-stick please) on the stove top on med-high heat for a few minutes. When you see wisps of smoke from the pan, you are ready to cook! After thawed (or already fresh), take the scallops out and quickly rinse them with cold water. Dry the scallops with paper towels or a tea towel and make sure they are as dry as you can get them! This will ensure proper browning and deliciousness (seared not steamed scallops!). Sprinkle salt over the scallops on both sides. As soon as the pan is ready lay them in the pan in a clockwise motion with about 1/2 of room between each scallop. Sizzling will ensue! After all of the scallops are in the pan (about 1.5-2 minutes), start to turn over the scallops in the same order you put them in. Another minute in the pan, then start retrieving them in the order you put them in the pan.
Sunchokes aka Jerusalem artichokes, oddly enough are not artichokes at all! Sunchokes look similar to ginger with a darker brown skin, and an asymmetrical shape. They are a root vegetables that are similar to a potatos, starchy but with a very pleasing nuttiness that accompanies them. You would clean and cook these just like a potato. I prefer the skin on, but if need be, you can peel the skin off. If you keep the skin on, make sure to clean thoroughly with a brush and cold water. Get a pot of water boiling big enough for the sunchokes and at least 3 quarts of water. After the sunchokes are clean, roughly chop them into 1/2in to 3/4in chunks, you don’t have to be precise here. Just make sure to cut them into same size pieces, so when they are boiled, they all cook evenly. After the sunchokes are fork tender, throw them into a blender with the cream, butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse 5-8 times until you have a chunky soup consistency. Strain this mixture to get your soup. You’re then left with your mash! To plate, put a generous spoonful of the mash in the center, lay 4 scallops on the mash, then ladel the soup over the scallops. Put a dollop of the creme fraiche and garnish with the parsley or chervil and you are done! Bon apetit!
