Seared Scallops with Vanilla Parsnip Purée

To make this recipe for seared scallops with vanilla parsnip purée, crispy ham, and truffle, start by preparing all the ingredients for the vanilla parsnip purée.

Vanilla parsnip purée: Split the vanilla pods in half and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife (don't rely on the amount of vanilla shown in the photos — that day I was testing, and I found that adding more gave a stronger aroma).

Place the 2 split vanilla pods and the seeds in a saucepan.

Add the milk...

...and the whipping cream.

Bring everything to a boil.

Once boiling, remove from the heat and cover the saucepan tightly with cling film. Leave to infuse for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the parsnips...

...and cut them into cubes using a chef's knife on a cutting board...

...as shown here.

When the vanilla has infused into the milk, reheat and add the parsnip cubes.

Season with fine salt and freshly ground pepper.

Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.

Once simmering, cover the saucepan with a lid or a circle of parchment paper, as shown in the photo. Let it cook gently.

The parsnips will gradually soften, and the liquids will reduce, which is perfectly normal.

If the liquid reduces too quickly, add some milk or cream during cooking and continue to cook. Stir regularly to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Crispy ham chips: Take very thin slices of Serrano ham and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. It's better to use small pieces rather than whole slices.

Make sure the ham pieces do not touch each other.

Cover the ham with a second sheet of parchment paper...

...and then a second baking tray.

Place in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 180°C and bake for 8 to 10 minutes (cooking time may vary depending on your oven).

After this time, check that the ham slices are well cooked. The chips should be flat, golden, and crispy.

Once cooked, remove from the oven. Take off the top tray and parchment paper...

...and leave to cool at room temperature. Set aside.

Vanilla parsnip purée (continued): Check the doneness of the parsnips by inserting a knife blade into the centre — it should go in easily, indicating that the parsnips are cooked.

Once cooked, drain the parsnips in a strainer over a bowl to collect the cooking liquid.

Transfer the parsnips to a mixing bowl...

...and blend with a hand blender until smooth.

While blending, add the butter and mix it into the parsnips.

Adjust the seasoning with fine salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add some of the reserved cooking liquid made of milk and cream.

Blend again until the texture is perfect.

If necessary, add more milk or cream to adjust the consistency. Then blend...

...to obtain a smooth vanilla parsnip purée.

Once the purée is ready, place a fine sieve (not too fine, not too coarse) over a mixing bowl.

Pass the purée through the sieve using a silicone spatula...

...to obtain a fine and silky parsnip purée. Keep it warm on the side of the stove (or covered in the oven at 100°C).

Seared scallops: Prepare all the components for plating. The scallops were purchased already cleaned from the fishmonger. We'll use only the meat, without the roe. You can soak them for 24 hours in equal parts milk and water to obtain perfectly white scallops. Start by heating a non-stick frying pan dry.

Drain the scallops and place them in a food container lined with paper towels. Season both sides with fine salt and freshly ground pepper.

Coat all sides of the scallops in Mycryo cocoa butter. This will serve as the fat for cooking. Although typically used for chocolate tempering or to thin melted chocolate, here Mycryo is used as an alternative in a savoury recipe that won't alter the scallop's flavour.

Place the coated scallops in the hot pan. Mycryo cocoa butter allows perfect cooking — the scallop will sear and brown rather than release water and boil as it might with butter or oil. The pan must be very hot to achieve a good sear.

Halfway through cooking, flip the scallops. Total cooking time should be about 1 minute, depending on size (30 seconds per side). Cooking longer will make them rubbery.

Once cooked, drain the scallops on a cooling tray with rack.

Plating: Place about 2 tablespoons of vanilla parsnip purée on a plate and spread it in a circular shape using a mini offset spatula, creating small waves...

...as shown in the photo.

Arrange 4 scallops per plate, directly on the vanilla parsnip purée.

Finish: Insert two crispy ham chips opposite each other between the scallops. Add the black truffle slices in the same way, as shown in the photo.

Take a ham chip and crumble it between your fingers, sprinkling it over the plate on top of the purée.

Sprinkle the plate with finely chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Finish with a few crushed roasted hazelnuts.

Just before serving, drizzle lightly with black truffle-flavoured olive oil. Your seared scallops with vanilla parsnip purée, crispy ham, and truffle are ready to serve. Enjoy!