Scallops
2 pounds scallops
4 ounces butter, clarified
2 tablespoons thyme, fresh
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon peppercorns, black — peppermill over finished product
Beets
1 3/4 pounds beets, golden — peeled, small dice
1 cup vegetable stock
2 sprigs rosemary, fresh
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper — finely ground
Puree
1/4 pound nuts, hazelnut
1 cup heavy cream — reduced by half
2 tablespoons salt — to taste
3 tablespoons brown sugar — to taste
2 tablespoons parsley, curly, fresh — picked clean
Redux
3 cups wine, sauvignon blanc
1/2 cup honey
2 each shallots — minced, by hand
4 cloves garlic — sliced, by hand
2 tablespoons thyme, fresh
2 tablespoons salt — to taste
1 tablespoon canola oil
Salad
1/4 pound spinach, fresh — julienned, please
1 tablespoon salt — to taste
2 tablespoons canola oil
Parsnips
1/4 pound parsnips — peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons parsley, curly, fresh — washed and chopped, dried
Remove all of the excess moisture from the Scallops. Melt the butter with the thyme sprigs. Season each tray of scallops just before that tray is seared, with salt only. As close to service as possible, sear the scallops on medium-high heat to achieve a golden brown crust on each side while leaving the center rare to medium rare. Baste the scallops as they’re searing. After they’ve been transferred to their holding pans season with the freshly ground pepper. Hold for service.
Heat a pot on medium heat. Add the beets, veg stock and rosemary and very lightly season. Stir often. Allow the beets to cook slowly while throwing their liquid. Once the beets are tender strain the liquid and reserve, hold the beets hot. Reduce the liquid until it’s viscous. Add the reduced liquid to the beet pans.
Warm the cream if already reduced, make sure the cream is fully reduced by the time the hazelnuts come out of the oven otherwise. Place the hazelnuts on parchment lined sheet trays in an even layer. Toast at 275 degrees low fan until golden brown, start with 25 minutes and stir. Fill the blender 1/2 way with nuts and then cover with cream. Add some parsley. Puree well. When all the nuts are pureed add the rest of the cream and season to taste.
Gently sweat the shallot and garlic. Add the wine and slowly reduce. Strain when half the volume has been reduced. Continue reducing adding the thyme. When the wine reaches a syrupy consistency add the honey. Hold hot.
Toss the spinach with oil and salt in batches. Barely coat the spinach in oil.
Peel the parsnips. Then, use the vegetable peeler to “peel” the parsnip into ribbons directly into a lowered fryer basket or pot filled with oil. Pull and quickly drain briefly when they begin to brown. Toss with the parsley, salt, and pepper while still hot. Allow to fully drain on paper towel lined sheet trays.
Service
Place 1 oz of puree on a plate. Place a nice pile of salad next to that. Place 2 oz of beets next to that. Arrange 3-4 scallops over that. Sauce with a .5 oz ladle of reduction. Garnish with the parsnips over the top of that, crushing as needed.