Scallops with Corn, Burnt Butter, Lemon Aspen and Beach Sorrel - Chef Recipe by Steven Snow

Ingredients

16 scallops
75g butter
10mL oil
3 cobs of corn- whole with corn hair
1kg butter, salted
500g lemon aspen
1L water
100g sugar
15mL white wine vinegar
200mL pickle solution - white wine vinegar, sugar, sea salt and star anise
10 star anise
2 eggs
6 sugar snaps peas

Method

Corn Puree:

Remove kernels from 2 cobs of corn retaining the hair. Use the cobs to make corn stock for making polenta chips etc. Blend the kernels on high for about 2 minutes. Repeat until all kernels have been juiced. Strain corn liquid through the a fine mesh strainer (shinwa) available. Make sure you keep the left over kernels from the juice to dehydrate and make corn dust. Reduce until thick and creamy.

Scallops:

Heat the pan till very hot. Add the oil. Place scallops in the frypan. Add small cubes of butter next to each scallop. Caramelise one side then turn.

Corn Dust:

Dehydrate the corn pulp until very dry in a very low oven or sitting in a tray above the stove tops until very dry. Blitz in blender and sieve.

Burnt Corn:

Place the remaining corn cob onto the char-grill. Season well and cook until blackened gently. Remove kernels and keep for service.

Lemon Aspen:

Place lemon aspen in a strainer and add, water and sugar in a pot and bring to the boil. Plunge lemon aspen into sugar syrup. Once boiling remove 400 g of aspen and reduce syrup until you have 120mL left. Do not leave too much aspen in or it will be very bitter. Slice aspen into small pieces. Store aspen in refrigerator.

Burnt Butter:

Place 1kg of butter in a cold heavy pot and bring to a boil, reduce temp and cook out until dark and nutty. Approx 10 minutes. Strain off liquid through a fine sieve. Scrape the solid from the pan bottom and save for service.

Sugar Snaps:

Split down the middle and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds as you are ready to plate.

Pickled Corn Hair:

Add the corn hair you kept while peeling the corn to hot pickle solution with added star anise. Remove as required and fry in the deep fryer in a small sieve on 180 C.

Butter and Aspen Emulsion:

Place 2 whole eggs into a pot of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Remove and shock in ice water. Place peeled eggs and 60mL of aspen reduction into blender and blend on a medium speed until combined. Slowly add your clarified butter like a mayonnaise. Store in a squeezy bottle to be used at a later date and do not refrigerate.

To Serve:

Place 1 heaped teaspoon of corn puree onto plate and spread with a spatula or spoon. At Fins we use a flat bottom glass.

Place three small dollops of aspen emulsion on the edge of your corn puree.

Place your scallops in a square around the corn puree.

Generously sprinkle your burnt corn in between the scallops.

Add a small amount of butter crumbs onto the aspen emulsion.

Lay three halves of sugar snap peas on and between the scallops.

Place sorrel around the plate as you like.

Lay the crispy hair to cover one of the scallops.

Recipe provided by Fins Restaurant