Pan Seared Scallops With Sunchoke Purée

An elegant recipe, well suited as a fancy appetizer at your next dinner party. Scallops with sunchoke and capers is a match made in heaven.

What happens when you pair three of your all time favorite ingredients? Well. Good things hopefully. Especially when the flavors of the three ingredients blend as well as these three personal darlings of mine. Scallops, sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) and capers.

Halleluja!

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The subtle ocean flavor and crispiness of the pan seared scallop. The deep earthiness of the sunchoke purée. And the butter infused tartness of the capers sauce. It’s super easy, super elegant- and super good.

I make this dish for dinner parties several times a year, and every single time it is a huge success. It looks like a restaurant dish, it tastes like one too – and the best thing is that it takes under 30 minutes to prepare.

How to Make Pan Seared Scallops with Sunchoke Purée

Prepare the Sunchoke Purée:

1. Peel the sunchokes and place them immediately in boiling water to prevent browning. Simmer until very soft, about 12 minutes.
2. Drain sunchokes and blend until smooth. Transfer the puree back to the stove, add heavy cream, and reheat gently.
3. Whisk in butter until the purée becomes creamy. Stir in a pinch of sugar, and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Cook the Scallops:

1. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a skillet over high heat with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Once hot, sear the scallops for about 1 minute on each side or until a golden crust forms. When you press down on them you want some resistance, but you don’t want them to be hard – that’s how you know they are done.
3. Remove scallops and reduce heat to medium. In the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
4. Add capers and lemon juice to the pan and simmer for one minute, stirring frequently.

Assemble the Dish:

1. Spoon the sunchoke purée onto plates, placing it at the center.
2. Set seared scallops on top of the purée.
3. Drizzle the caper and butter sauce around the plate.
4. Garnish with fresh dill and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes:

• Ensure sunchokes are fully dry before pureeing to avoid a watery texture.
• Do not overcrowd the pan when searing scallops; they should not touch.
• Adjust the amount of capers based on your preference for tartness.

Pan Seared Scallops With Sunchoke Purée

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5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Kalle Bergman
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

The subtle ocean flavor and crispiness of the pan seared scallop. The deep earhthiness of the sunchoke purée. And the butter infused tartness of the capers sauce. It’s super easy, super elegant- and super good.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Scallops

• 4 Large scallops, cleaned
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons organic butter
• 1 Tablespoon fine capers
• 1 Teaspoon lemon juice
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Dill, for garnishing

For the Sunchoke Purée:

• 1/2 pound sunchokes
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• A pinch of sugar
• Salt and white pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Prepare the Sunchoke Purée:

1. Peel the sunchokes and place them immediately in boiling water to prevent browning. Simmer until very soft, about 12 minutes.
2. Drain sunchokes and blend until smooth. Transfer the puree back to the stove, add heavy cream, and reheat gently.
3. Whisk in butter until the purée becomes creamy. Stir in a pinch of sugar, and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Cook the Scallops:

1. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a skillet over high heat with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Once hot, sear the scallops for about 1 minute on each side or until a golden crust forms.
3. Remove scallops and reduce heat to medium. In the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
4. Add capers and lemon juice to the pan and simmer for one minute, stirring frequently.

Assemble the Dish:

1. Spoon the sunchoke purée onto plates, placing it at the center.
2. Set seared scallops on top of the purée.
3. Drizzle the caper and butter sauce around the plate.
4. Garnish with fresh dill and serve immediately.

Notes

• Ensure sunchokes are fully dry before pureeing to avoid a watery texture.
• Do not overcrowd the pan when searing scallops; they should not touch.
• Adjust the amount of capers based on your preference for tartness.

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Pan Frying
• Cuisine: Scandinavian