Dish name: “Forest & Tide: Scallop, Aged Soy, Pine, and Dark Chocolate”

Concept narrative
This dish explores the meeting point of ocean depth and forest aromatics. Sweet raw scallop is paired with an unexpected partner: extremely light dark chocolate bitterness and pine brightness. Fermented soy adds umami bass notes while mushroom and seaweed connect land and sea. The chocolate is used in a restrained, savory way, echoing the bitterness chefs sometimes achieve with char or coffee. The plating evokes a shoreline where a forest meets the sea.

Primary components

1. Dry-aged scallop crudo
2. Pine and cocoa nib emulsion
3. Black garlic–soy glaze
4. Porcini–kombu sand
5. Pickled green strawberry (or green apple substitute)
6. Pine oil
7. Warm scallop coral espuma
8. Tempered dark chocolate shard

Serves: 4 tasting portions

Special ingredient sourcing notes

• Diver scallops (U10 size) from a trusted fishmonger. Ask for “dry scallops,” not chemically treated.
• Pine needles: culinary-safe species such as white pine. Avoid yew or ornamental pines. Many foragers or specialty herb suppliers carry them.
• Green strawberries: early-season farms or specialty produce distributors. Tart green apple can substitute.
• Cocoa nibs: high-quality single-origin if possible.
• Dried porcini: Italian specialty stores.
• Kombu: Japanese grocery.
• Black garlic: widely available or from Korean grocers.
• Scallop roe (coral): request untrimmed scallops from fishmonger.

1. Dry-aged scallops Technique: controlled refrigerator aging to intensify sweetness.

Ingredients

• 6 large diver scallops
• Fine sea salt

Steps

1. Remove scallops from shells. Reserve coral separately for espuma.

2. Pat scallops completely dry.

3. Place on a rack over a tray lined with paper towels.

4. Leave uncovered in refrigerator 24 hours. Air circulation concentrates flavor and firms texture.

5. Before service, trim edges into perfect cylinders. Slice each scallop into 3 horizontal discs.

6. Pine and cocoa nib emulsion Ingredients

• 200 ml neutral oil (grapeseed)
• 20 g fresh pine needles
• 10 g cocoa nibs
• 40 ml champagne vinegar
• 30 ml light soy sauce
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Steps

1. Warm oil to 60°C. Add pine needles and cocoa nibs. Infuse 30 minutes.

2. Blend briefly and strain through fine filter. Oil should taste gently resinous and faintly chocolatey.

3. In blender: egg yolk, mustard, vinegar.

4. Slowly stream in infused oil to create a glossy emulsion similar to loose mayonnaise.

5. Season lightly with soy sauce. Chill in squeeze bottle.

6. Black garlic–soy glaze Ingredients

• 6 cloves black garlic
• 120 ml aged soy sauce
• 50 ml mirin
• 50 ml dashi
• 1 tsp rice vinegar

Steps

1. Blend black garlic with soy until smooth.

2. Simmer mixture with mirin and dashi until lightly syrupy.

3. Add rice vinegar to brighten.

4. Strain to a glossy glaze consistency.

5. Porcini–kombu sand Ingredients

• 20 g dried porcini
• 10 g kombu
• 30 g panko
• 15 g butter

Steps

1. Toast panko in butter until deep golden.

2. Grind porcini and kombu into fine powder.

3. Combine with panko to form aromatic “sand.”

4. Keep dry for plating.

5. Pickled green strawberry Ingredients

• 8 green strawberries (or tart green apple cubes)
• 100 ml rice vinegar
• 60 ml water
• 25 g sugar
• pinch salt

Steps

1. Heat vinegar, water, sugar, salt until dissolved.

2. Cool slightly.

3. Pour over sliced fruit and pickle 30 minutes.

4. Drain before plating.

5. Pine oil Ingredients

• 100 ml neutral oil
• small handful pine needles
• pinch salt

Steps

1. Blend oil with pine needles at high speed 2 minutes.

2. Heat gently to 70°C then strain through coffee filter.

3. Result: vivid green aromatic oil.

4. Scallop coral espuma Ingredients

• scallop coral from the scallops
• 100 ml cream
• 50 ml dashi
• 10 g butter
• salt

Steps

1. Gently sauté coral in butter until just cooked.

2. Blend with warm cream and dashi.

3. Strain extremely fine.

4. Charge in siphon with one N2O cartridge.

5. Keep warm at ~55°C.

6. Tempered chocolate shards Ingredients

• 70% dark chocolate

Steps

1. Temper chocolate using standard seeding method.
2. Spread extremely thin on acetate sheet.
3. Before fully set, sprinkle microscopic pinch sea salt.
4. Break into irregular shards resembling driftwood.

Plating (Michelin style composition) Use a wide matte stone plate.

1. Sweep a curved line of pine-cocoa emulsion across plate.
2. Place three scallop slices along the line.
3. Lightly brush each scallop with black garlic glaze.
4. Pipe small dots of emulsion nearby.
5. Add small clusters of porcini-kombu sand for texture.
6. Nestle pieces of pickled green strawberry around scallops.
7. Place a small tempered chocolate shard leaning against one scallop.
8. Tableside: dispense a small cloud of warm scallop coral espuma beside the seafood.
9. Finish with drops of pine oil and micro herbs (wood sorrel or baby shiso).

Flavor experience

• First aroma: pine forest and ocean.
• Initial bite: sweet aged scallop with savory soy depth.
• Mid-palate: mushroom umami and airy coral foam.
• Finish: faint bitterness from cocoa nib and dark chocolate, balanced by bright pickled fruit.

The dish aims to surprise without overwhelming: chocolate behaves like a subtle bitter spice while pine and kombu connect forest and sea into a unified tasting narrative.