Seared Sea Scallops with Crispy Potato Disks and Citrus-Herb Dressing

Peel the scrubbed russet potatoes and slice them into uniform 1.5 mm (1/16 inch) thick rounds using a mandoline slicer.

Spread the sliced potato rounds across double layers of paper towels, cover with additional paper towels, and press firmly to extract all excess surface moisture.

Arrange the dried potato rounds in an even single layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, brush both sides of each disk with 30 ml melted clarified butter, season with 3 g fine sea salt and 2 g minced thyme, cover with a top sheet of parchment paper, weight with a second rimmed baking sheet, and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20 minutes until completely crisp and golden amber.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the minced shallot, 2 g orange zest, 1 g lemon zest, 30 ml fresh orange juice, 15 ml fresh lemon juice, 5 g dijon mustard, 2 g fine sea salt, and 1 g black pepper, then slowly drizzle in 60 ml extra virgin olive oil while whisking continuously until emulsified, finishing by stirring in 8 g sliced chives and 4 g chopped tarragon.

Inspect the 12 sea scallops, peel away and discard the fibrous rectangular side abductor muscle from the edge of each scallop, and firmly press the scallops on all surfaces with fresh paper towels until thoroughly dry.

Season both flat surfaces of each dried scallop evenly with 3 g fine sea salt and 1 g ground white pepper directly before introducing them to the skillet.

Pour 30 ml avocado oil into a heavy-bottomed 12-inch stainless steel skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the oil ripples across the base and faint wisps of smoke emerge at 205°C (400°F).

Gently lay the scallops into the hot oil clockwise around the skillet perimeter leaving at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) between each, apply light downward pressure with a fish spatula for 10 seconds to maximize surface contact, and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes until a deep golden-brown caramelized crust develops on the underside.

Invert each scallop using a fish spatula, immediately add 20 g cubed chilled unsalted butter to the pan, tilt the skillet slightly, and continuously baste the tops of the scallops with the foaming butter for 1 minute until the centers become pearly white and opaque and reach a minimum internal temperature of 63°C (145°F) measured with an instant-read digital thermometer.

On each of four warm dinner plates, alternate three warm crispy potato disks with three seared scallops in an overlapping crescent or shingle pattern, then spoon 25 ml of the citrus-herb dressing around and partially over the scallops, serving immediately.