Roast scallops with artichoke soup
Use a mandoline to help make neat and tiny cubed vegetables for the ‘brunoise’ that comes with creamy artichoke soup and buttery scallops. An involved, but impressive dinner party dish.
Ingredients
For the artichoke soup
- squeeze lemon juice
- 1kg/2lb 4oz Jerusalem artichokes
- olive oil, for cooking
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 200ml/7fl oz dry white wine
- 200ml/7fl oz fish stock
- 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
- 2 sprigs lemon thyme
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
For the scallops
- 4 large, raw scallops with roe
- olive oil, for cooking
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
- squeeze lemon juice
- flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the lemon, artichoke and celery brunoise
- squeeze lemon juice
- 1 large Jerusalem artichoke, prepared and finely diced
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- 2 preserved lemons (peel only), finely diced
- drizzle olive oil
To serve
Method
To make the artichoke soup, prepare a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice (the acidulated water will prevent the artichokes from turning brown). Peel the artichokes, discarding the outer leaves. As you peel each one, immediately submerge it in the cold water.
Heat a little olive oil in a heavy-based pan and add the shallots and garlic with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Fry, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Meanwhile, drain the artichokes and very thinly slice them with a mandoline, then add them to the pan, working quickly so that they don’t oxidise and discolour. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in the wine and let it boil until almost all evaporated, then add the fish and chicken stocks and thyme sprigs. Bring back to a simmer and cook the artichokes for a few more minutes until they are very soft.
Allow the mixture to cool slightly and then pour the contents of the pan into a strong blender (or Thermomix) and blend until smooth. Pass the soup through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, ready to reheat when needed.
To fry the scallops, heat a little olive oil in a wide non-stick pan over a high heat. Season the scallops with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then place in the pan, arranging them in a ring. Fry for 1–2 minutes, or until the underside is golden-brown. Flip them over, in the same order as you put them into the pan, then add the butter. Cook for another minute or so, basting the scallops with the foaming melted butter as they finish cooking. The scallops are done if they feel slightly springy when pressed. Squeeze over a little lemon juice and take the pan off the heat. Remove the scallops and leave to rest for a few minutes.
Put the diced artichoke, celery and preserved lemon into a pan. Mix with a drizzle of olive oil and a small pinch each of salt and black pepper and cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Set aside, ready to reheat. Gently warm the mixture before serving.
To finish the artichoke soup, when you are ready to serve, add the cream to the soup and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. When the soup is hot, blend it with a stick blender until light and frothy.
To assemble, pour some soup into individual warmed serving bowls, top with a scallop, a spoonful of brunoise, and a squeeze of lemon purée, if using. Garnish with a few celery leaves and a drizzle of leek oil and serve immediately, with the artichoke soup.
