A Michelin-level scallop starter featuring gently butter-poached diver scallops, silky corn silk velouté, a lightly fermented corn emulsion, and a crisp citrus ash tuile. A refined balance of sweetness, umami, acidity, and texture using modernist techniques.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 8 – U-10 diver scallops (dry-packed, cleaned)
• 200g – European-style butter (high fat content preferred)
• 1 strip – kombu
• 1 clove – garlic (lightly crushed)
• 4 ears – fresh corn (kernels, cobs, and silk reserved)
• 500ml – light vegetable or chicken stock
• 100ml – heavy cream
• 30g – butter (for velouté)
• 1 cup – corn kernels (for fermentation)
• 2% – salt (by weight for fermentation)
• 1 tsp – koji rice (optional)
• 50ml – neutral oil
• 100ml – water
• 40g – flour
• 20g – olive oil
• 1 – lemon (zest and peel)
• 1 – orange (zest and peel)
• 100ml – grapeseed oil
• small handful – basil stems
• to garnish – micro herbs (corn shoots, basil tips)
• to garnish – edible flowers
• to taste – flaky sea salt

Speciality Items:

• Culinary Centrifuge Need it? Click here to start cooking
• Vacuum Chamber Sealer Need it? Click here to start cooking
• Precision Immersion Circulator Need it? Click here to start cooking
• Plating Tweezers Set Need it? Click here to start cooking
• Offset Plating Spatula Need it? Click here to start cooking

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Steps:

1. Ferment corn: Vacuum seal corn kernels with salt and koji. Ferment at room temperature for 48 hours. Blend with neutral oil until smooth, then strain into a glossy emulsion.
2. Prepare corn silk velouté: Roast corn cobs until golden. Simmer cobs, corn silk, kernels, and stock for 30 minutes. Strain, then blend with butter and cream until silky smooth. Season lightly.
3. Make citrus ash: Burn dried lemon and orange peels until fully blackened. Grind into a fine ash powder.
4. Prepare citrus ash tuile: Mix water, flour, olive oil, citrus zest, and a pinch of citrus ash. Cook thin layers in a nonstick pan until lacy and crisp. Cool and reserve.
5. Infuse aromatic oil: Warm grapeseed oil to 60°C. Add basil stems and lemon peel. Infuse using an ultrasonic bath or steep for 1 hour. Strain until clear.
6. Butter-poach scallops: Melt butter with kombu and garlic. Maintain temperature at 50–55°C. Add scallops and poach gently for 6–8 minutes until just set and translucent.
7. Plating: Spoon corn velouté onto the plate as a base. Place scallops slightly off-center. Add dots of fermented corn emulsion. Position a shard of citrus ash tuile vertically for height.
8. Finish: Drizzle aromatic oil in small droplets. Garnish with micro herbs and edible flowers. Season lightly with flaky salt and serve immediately.

Nuggget Nuggget: One Ask. One Tap. Done

Nuggget Nuggget: One Ask. One Tap. Done