Seared scallops with sunchokes, seven herb salad and truffles

Jody Adams/Rialto

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.