Recipe 03 | The Technical Challenge
“This is a dish of patience. We use Koji—an ancient fermentation starter—to age the scallops, intensifying their natural sweetness and umami. Stuffing a delicate scallop with earthy porcini requires a steady hand, but the result is a perfect marriage of land and sea.”
I N G R E D I E N T S
I. THE SCALLOP
- Scallops: 10 pcs
- Shio koji: 50 g
- Sea aster: 10 g
- Thyme: 5 g
- Olive oil: 50 ml
II. THE FILLING & PURÉE
- Porcini: 500 g
- White onion: 50 g
- Black pepper: 5 g
- Salt: 15 g
- Marinière stock
III. THE SAUCE
- Cockles: 400 g
- Wine: 150 g
- White onion: 100 g
- Garlic: 30 g
- Parsley: 20 g
- Lemon juice: 30 ml
- Tarragon: 200 g
- Grapeseed oil: 250 ml
01. THE AGING
The Koji Marinade
Clean the scallops gently and rinse in ice-cold water. Marinate them in koji for 15 hours. Rinse again in ice water and place on a rack to dry-age and firm up the texture. This process unlocks their natural umami.
02. THE STUFFING
Precision Cutting
Finely chop the fresh porcini mushrooms and sauté until cooked. Slice each aged scallop horizontally, without cutting all the way through, to create a delicate pocket. Carefully stuff with the cooked porcini mixture.
03. THE PURÉE
Earth & Sea
Sauté the white onions until soft. In a separate pan, caramelize additional porcini heavily. Blend both with a splash of cockle stock and plenty of black pepper until perfectly smooth.
04. THE SEAR AND FOAM
The Finish
Sear the stuffed scallops in olive oil with thyme and garlic until golden but still translucent in the center. Slice in half to reveal the stuffing. Plate with a sweep of porcini purée and foam the cockles sauce tableside.
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