SEA SCALLOPS WITH SUNCHOKES AND TRUFFLES

Sea Scallops With Sunchokes and Truffles image

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Time 1h30m

Yield 4 first-course servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

1/2 pound smoked slab bacon, diced
1 cup whole milk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 pound sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes)
1 large artichoke
Sea salt
white pepper
Yoke of 1 hard-boiled egg
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
8 to 12 sea scallops, about 3/4 pound, tough tendons removed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 slices fresh black truffle, about 1/4 ounce, optional
4 sprigs watercress for garnish

Steps:

Place bacon and milk in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, remove from heat and allow to steep 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix 1 cup water with lemon juice. Peel and dice sunchokes and place in bowl. Trim artichoke down to fleshy heart, removing all leaves and choke, and place in bowl. Discard artichoke leaves and choke.
Remove bacon from saucepan and discard or reserve for another use. Add sunchokes and artichoke heart to milk and simmer gently until tender, about 25 minutes. Remove artichoke heart and reserve. Purée sunchokes with any milk remaining in pan. Season with salt and white pepper. Rinse saucepan and place purée in it. Sliver artichoke heart.
Mash egg yolk and mix with shallot, chives and parsley. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons oil, beating with a whisk. Add vinegar, season with salt and pepper, beat well and set aside.
Place scallops in a saucepan that will hold them with little room to spare, in a single layer. Add 1/2 cup olive oil and the garlic. Heat to 110 degrees (use an instant thermometer) and cook for 3 minutes, turning scallops once. Remove scallops and oil from heat, cover and set aside. Heat remaining oil in pan and quickly sauté artichoke heart slices. Briefly reheat sunchoke purée.
To serve, spoon warm sunchoke purée on each of 4 plates. Scatter artichoke slices around it. Divide scallops on top of purée. Spoon egg and herb sauce (gribiche) on scallops, top each with a truffle slice if using, and put a watercress sprig alongside. Serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 1018, UnsaturatedFat 71 grams, Carbohydrate 24 grams, Fat 94 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 24 grams, SaturatedFat 18 grams, Sodium 934 milligrams, Sugar 11 grams, TransFat 0 grams