Seared Scallops with Jerusalem Artichoke Puree, Rocket, and Herb Oil

I have crawled out of the depths of my PAS sorrows to bring you this delicious update.

Scallop season is well and truly here; Matt went for his first scallop dive today, and brought back this array of seductively plump beauties. Oh yes, nothing quite like these meaty morsels to get your juices flowing.

Salivating, that is.

So I decided that I really had better put the books down for a few hours and do justice to the first scallops of the year.

And what goes better with the sweetly scented scallop than earthy-sweet, creamy Jerusalem artichokes. Pretty sure there's another dodgy innuendo in there, but I'll save you from that one.

Useless fact of the day: the Jerusalem artichoke has no affiliation with either Jerusalem, nor artichokes (at least, that's what Wikipedia tells me, and when has Wikipedia ever been wrong?). It is in fact, a root, like a potato (and looks a great deal like ginger, as per the photo below) . But the taste has a delicate artichoke-like flavour, gentle, sweet, and earthy. So it's a perfect match for the delicate sweetness of scallops.

I picked mine up from the Chaffers farmer's market last week. For those Wellingtonians out there, they're in season, so if you're keen to give them a go, please do. Nigel Slater roasts his with lemon, which would be just lovely next to a roast chicken, gosh darnit.

Enough fuss then. Lets tell you how I made this.

Seared Scallops with Jerusalem Artichoke Puree, Rocket, and Herb Oil (Serves 2 as an entree)

For the puree
200g Jerusalem artichokes
Knob butter, melted
2T milk (or cream if you're feeling sassy)
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

For the herb oil
Small bunch of herbs - I used parsley here
1/4c olive oil

For the rest
A small knob of butter and canola oil for frying (I'll explain this)
10 big fat juicy scallops (I used 5 per person as a large entree/light meal)
2 handfuls of rocket

Peel the artichokes as best you can; don't worry about getting all the skin off - if you find you're whittling away the artichoke just to get the last bit, then don't worry. We'll deal with that later. Chop them into even chunks, and place in a pot of salted boiling water for 25 mins or so, or until they're soft.

Drain the artichokes, and push through a sieve to form a fine mash. The skins you left on should gather in the bottom of the sieve when you're done. Add the butter, milk, and lemon, and puree using a stick blender until you have a fine puree. Taste, and season with salt and pepper (you may not need any salt, depending on how salty your water was). Transfer into a bowl, and set aside. You can make this part a day ahead if you want to.

Now make the herb oil; just puree the herbs and olive oil with a stick blender. Yep, that's it!

Melt the butter in a pan over a high heat, and add 1 T or so of the canola oil; butter has a very low smoking temperature, which is why it tends to burn over a high heat. Adding canola oil helps to raise the smoking temperature a bit. When the pan is very hot, add the scallops one by one, being careful not to crowd the pan. Let them sear for approximately 30 seconds on each side, until gently golden. Some of the fatter ones might take a little longer, but be careful not to overcook them - they will continue to cook a little once out of the pan.

When they look golden brown on both sides, pop them on a plate to rest while you plate up.

Serve with the puree, topped with rocket and a drizzle of herb oil.