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Sautéed Scallops with Celery Root Purée & Herb Oil

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Sautéed Scallops with Celery Root Purée and Herb Oil is an elegant dish and when served with a salad and a lovely white Burgundy, it truly is special meal.

Sautéed Scallops are a wonderfully succulent dish from award winning author Susan Herrmann Loomis’ 14th book, PLAT DU JOUR French Meals Made Easy.
I first met Susan eight years ago as a student in one of her culinary classes at her cooking school, On Rue Tatin in Paris. We became instant friends. I have had the privilege of recipe testing for her cookbooks and it has been so delicious and fun. I hope you enjoy her recipes as much as I do.

Plat du Jour (the dish of the day) is one of three familiar words in the French language that seduce, excite, and comfort. They reflect the classics, are seasonal, and are simple to make. Susan takes these dishes and show you how to effortlessly transform any meal into an elegant and flavorful French masterpiece. Her step-by-step guidance and cooking tips (astuces) will guide you to success in the French cooking experience.

PLAT DU JOUR Recipes

I appreciate Susan’s love of French culinary history, that shines through in PLAT DU JOUR. Take for example, her recipe for King Henry IV’s Garlic and Potato Soup from Agen.

This soup, a favorite of Henry IV, is a staple in the southwest of France, near the town of Agen, where garlic flourishes. Never a wealthy region, its cuisine was simple and poor, like this dish of potatoes and garlic, which is cooked, lightly crushed, then dressed up with eggs and toasted bread. Typically, the toasted bread was put in the bottom of the bowl and the soup was poured over it. I put it alongside of the soup but do as Susan suggests, and follow your own desire.

I love Susan’s unique approach to vegetables, like in her recipe for Eggplant Disguised. This has the look, taste and feel of mushrooms.

Did you know if you put a metal skewer through the middle of the eggplant, it will steam more evenly?

This is just one of many useful tips from PLAT DU JOUR that will help make you a more efficient cook, and with the recipes, an even better one than you already are.

Another wonderful recipe is Peppers and Tomatoes with Peached Egg, Basque-Style.

It is a festival of flavors and a feast for the senses.
And if you are looking for an easy and impressive appetizer, look no further than Cucumber Purée with Herbed Fresh Cheese.

When it is warm and the palate needs a refreshing opener, this is the ideal amuse-bouche—a perfect opener for any meal!

Egg Flowers with Kuri Squash is one of the most innovative and delightful of Susan’s recipes. I learned to make this from Susan at one of her cooking classes.

This clever recipe cooks the eggs in plastic wrap and then presented on a bed of squash.

Pureed dates, almonds, olive oil, and Piment d’Espelette, formed into small cone shapes, is a beautiful accent to the dish.

If you are looking for something sweeter, I adore the Rhubarb and Speculoos Tartlets. We are so fortunate to be able to get Rhubarb year round thanks to Melissa’s Produce.
Speculoos cookies make up the foundation for this layered nectarine (or persimmon), ginger and rhubarb dessert topped with a vanilla spiked cream.
Speaking of Speculoos, Susan’s recipe is one of my favorite cookie recipes.
I never tire of eating these delightfully crunchy and perfectly spiced treats.
Oh and then there are the impressive Individual Apple Tarts drizzled with a mild lavender honey.
Elegant and simple, the tarts come to the table like a birthday gift. They are professional to look at, easy to make and you dazzle each time you serve them.

PLAT DU JOUR French Meals Made Easy is a must-have for any aspiring home cook with a craving for simple, classic and easy seasonal French cooking.

Today’s Recipe: Sautéed Scallops with Celery Root Puree and Herb Oil

Susan explains clearly what every French chef knows, which is that the quality of every single ingredient you use is vital to the quality of the finished dish and, ultimately, to your enjoyment.

I used fresh basil and Cut 1886 extra virgin olive oil for the Herb Oil.
The shells I used for this dish came from the local Farmer’s Market near where Susan lives.

We cooked scallop when I was with Susan, and they were the freshest I have ever had. We had them cooked, and we had them as carpaccio, too, which was absolutely scrumptious.

Susan Herrmann Loomis shopping at the Le Neubourg Farmer's Market

Susan shopping at the Le Neubourg Farmer’s Market

Sautéed Scallops, like all the recipes in PLAT DU JOUR, are so easy, so delicious, so impressive, and OH! so French. Bon Appétit!
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Sautéed Scallops with Celery Root Purée and Herb Oil

This easy, yet impressive dish, will wow your dinner guests. The purée provides a perfect nest for sautéed scallops, and a drizzle of simple but intensely flavored herb oil completes this delectable dish.

Cuisine French
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6
Author Susan Herrmann Loomis

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup firmly packed fresh flat­ leaf parsley or basil leaves
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 large (1¾ pounds; 875 g each) celery root peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.3 cm) pieces
  • Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) crème fraîche
  • 18 sea scallops trimmed and rinsed, chilled
  • Fleur de sel

Instructions

  1. Mince the herb leaves and mix them with¼ cup (60 ml) of the oil in a small bowl. Set aside.

  2. Place the celery root in a heavy-bottomed skillet over very low heat. Season with fine salt and pepper, add ½ cup (125 ml) of water, cover, and cook until the celery root is tender through, about 20 minutes, checking from time to time to be sure it isn't sticking to the pan. If necessary, add a bit more water during cooking to keep it from sticking.

  3. When the celery root is tender through, transfer it to a food processor and puree. Add the crème fraîche, pro­cess, adjust the seasoning, and keep it hot over the lowest possible heat on your stove, or in a very low-temperature oven.

  4. Heat the remaining 4 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's hot, add the scallops and cook until they are golden on one side, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn the scallops and cook until they are golden on the other side, about 2 minutes. Season them with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

  5. To serve, divide the purée among six warmed plates, placing it in the center and shaping it in a disk. Place three scallops atop each disk of purée then drizzle the herb oil around the scallops and the purée. Season with fleur de sel and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Note: When you shop for scallops, look for firmness. Avoid them if they are bulgy or sitting in cloudy liquid.

I encourage you to run out and get a copy of PLAT DU JOUR French Meals Made Easy for yourself, and for a your culinarily inclined friends. They’ll thank you, for this gorgeously photographed cookbook will not disappoint.
…and then, she paused for thought.

If you are looking for other recipes from Susan Herrmann Loomis, check these out;

Tomatoes Provencales – French Grill Cookbook

Everyday Eggplant & “In a French Kitchen” Review

Duck Breast with Pomegranate Reduction

Cucumber and Cheese Verrine & Market Cooking Class in Paris

You can find Susans recipes and videos at her new website: Dancing Tomatoes

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of PLAT DU JOUR by the publisher and I did recipe testing for this book. As always, all thoughts are my own.
Yum

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. David Scott Allen

    Such beauty in this simple and elegant dish< Cathy! Scallops and celeriac is one of my favorite pairings, and celery root is just about to hit the farmers market! Coincidentally, I am making a new scallop dish tonight – great minds and wavelengths, I guess!

    Reply

  8. Fresh Food in a Flash

    I love scallops and your scallops are beautifully caramelilzed. I love the idea of serving them with celery root on a scallop shell. I’ve never used scallops fresh in the shell. Wonderful to see them that way.

    Reply

  9. chef mimi

    What fun! Beautiful food. I actually follow her on IG, but have never purchased one of her cookbooks. I have friends who’ve attending one of her cooking schools. Your dish looks restaurant-worthy!

    Reply

  11. Christina Conte

    That first photo is frame-worthy! OMG, I adore fresh scallops! Susan’s book looks wonderful, and I’m sure it is as you have alway raved about her cooking/dishes! Would love to try this scallop recipe! (Oh, and I agree with Greg, PERFECT!)

    Reply

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