"Tidal Reverie"

Miso-Caramelized Scallops with White Chocolate Dashi, Yuzu Pearls, and Crysta

llized Nori

Conceptual Narrative

This dish explores the liminal space where ocean meets shore, where umami depths encounter unexpected sweetn ess. The pairing of pristine diver scallops with white chocolate challenges conv entional boundaries, while traditional Japanese elements ground the composition in centuries of culinary wisdom. Each bite represents the ebb and flow of tides

• moments of intensity followed by gentle recession.

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Components Overview

1. Miso-Caramelized Hokkaido Scallops
2. White Chocolate Dashi Foam
3. Yuzu Pearl Caviar
4. Crystallized Nori Tuile
5. Micro Shiso Oil
6. Edible Sand (Black Sesame & Cocoa)

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Detailed Components & Techniques

1. Miso-Caramelized Hokkaido Scallops

Ingredients:

• 3 large Hokkaido diver scallops (U-10 size)
• 30g white miso paste (preferably 3-month aged)
• 15g mirin
• 10g sake
• 5g maple syrup
• Clarified butter for searing

Sourcing: Hokkaido scallops from Tsukiji Outer Market or specialty Japanese seafood importers

Method:

1. Remove scallops from refrigeration 20 minutes before cooking
2. Whisk miso, mirin, sake, and maple syrup until smooth
3. Score scallops in crosshatch pattern, 2mm deep
4. Brush with miso glaze, refrigerate 1 hour
5. Sear in smoking hot clarified butter, 90 seconds per side
6. Torch lightly for caramelization
7. Rest 2 minutes before plating

2. White Chocolate Dashi Foam

Ingredients:

• 500ml kombu dashi (made with Rishiri kombu)
• 50g Valrhona Ivoire white chocolate
• 2g soy lecithin
• 1 sheet silver gelatin
• Sea salt to taste

Method:

1. Prepare kombu dashi, steep at 60°C for 45 minutes
2. Strain and reduce to 300ml
3. Bloom gelatin in cold water
4. Heat dashi to 70°C, whisk in bloomed gelatin
5. Add white chocolate, whisk until melted
6. Cool to 60°C, add soy lecithin
7. Blend with immersion blender to create stable foam
8. Keep warm in thermal circulator at 55°C

3. Yuzu Pearl Caviar (Reverse Spherification)

Ingredients:

• 200ml yuzu juice (fresh-pressed)
• 100ml mineral water
• 2g sodium alginate
• 1000ml calcium chloride bath (0.5%)

Method:

1. Combine yuzu juice with mineral water
2. Using immersion blender, incorporate sodium alginate
3. Strain through fine mesh, rest 24 hours to remove air bubbles
4. Prepare calcium bath
5. Using syringe, create 3mm pearls in calcium bath
6. Let set for 2 minutes
7. Rinse in clean water, store in yuzu juice

4. Crystallized Nori Tuile

Ingredients:

• 5 sheets premium nori (Ariake Sea)
• 100ml water
• 50g sugar
• 15ml rice wine vinegar
• Black sesame seeds

Method:

1. Blend nori with water until smooth paste
2. Strain through cheesecloth
3. Reduce liquid by half
4. Add sugar and vinegar, cook to 115°C
5. Spread thin on silicone mat
6. Dehydrate at 60°C for 8 hours
7. Break into artistic shards

5. Micro Shiso Oil

Ingredients:

• 50g micro purple shiso
• 200ml grapeseed oil
• Salt

Method:

1. Blanch shiso in salted water, 5 seconds
2. Shock in ice bath
3. Squeeze dry, blend with oil at high speed
4. Strain through coffee filter
5. Season with salt

6. Edible Sand

Ingredients:

• 30g black sesame seeds, toasted
• 20g cocoa nibs
• 10g dehydrated soy sauce
• 5g gold leaf

Method:

1. Grind each component separately to varying textures
2. Combine, creating textural variety
3. Fold in gold leaf fragments

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Plating & Presentation

Equipment Needed:

• Warm plates (28cm diameter, preferably handcrafted ceramic)
• Precision tweezers
• Foam dispenser
• Micro pipette

Assembly (per plate):

1. Create abstract brush stroke with shiso oil
2. Place three dots of edible sand asymmetrically
3. Position scallops in triangular formation
4. Pipe white chocolate dashi foam between scallops
5. Distribute 7-9 yuzu pearls strategically
6. Crown each scallop with nori tuile shard
7. Finish with micro shiso leaves and gold leaf

Service Notes:

• Serve immediately while scallops are warm
• Foam should be applied tableside for dramatic effect
• Provide mother-of-pearl spoons to preserve delicate flavors

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Wine Pairing

Recommend: 2018 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Auslese or aged Junmai Daigi njo sake

Chef's Note

The unusual pairing of white chocolate with dashi creates a synergy that amplifi es both sweet and umami note s, while the yuzu pearls provide acidic punctuation. This dish requires precise timing and temperature control - the contrast between warm scallops and cool pea rls is essential to the experience.