Ingredients :

• Scallops — Fresh if you can—November to April is their season. Frozen works very well, but they must be thawed in the fridge overnight and patted dry thoroughly with paper towels before cooking. A wet scallop won’t sear; it will steam. The difference between a caramel crust and a rubbery texture is all decided right there.
• Jerusalem Artichokes — A winter vegetable easy to find at markets right now. Peel them quickly—they turn black in the open air within minutes—and plunge them directly into water with a squeeze of lemon. Their nutty flavor is discrete but present. Half a vanilla bean infused in the cream before blending, as the recipe suggests, is a great idea: not sweet, just deeper and rounder on the palate.
• Salsify — Less common than Jerusalem artichokes, but well-stocked markets and some specialty delis carry them in winter. For the chips, the essential tool is a mandoline: slices must be almost translucent to fry uniformly. By hand it’s doable but uneven, and you’ll end up with half-burnt chips and others still soft.
• Heavy Cream — Full fat, not light—this is important. Jerusalem artichoke purée needs the fat to be silky and not split when heated. Same for the sauce in the pan after the scallops: with light cream, it evaporates without ever binding.