Scallop – Celeriac – Sea Buckthorn

Reflection

Scallop and celeriac is one of those classic combinations in Nordic cuisine. You’ll see it on menus all over Denmark, and for good reason. The natural sweetness of fresh scallops against the earthy, buttery depth of celeriac is a pairing that rarely fails.

Back in one of my old kitchens, the chef would serve it with lemon confit. Somehow, he always nailed it — bright and sharp, but never too sour. It was a stunning dish, topped with micro herbs, as precise visually as it was in flavor. I still haven’t cracked his secret.

My version takes a different path. Instead of lemon, I turned to havtorn — sea buckthorn. It’s a bold ingredient: full of acidity, almost too sharp if you let it run wild. Balance it wrong, and the whole plate goes sideways. But when it works, sea buckthorn doesn’t just fit the dish, it charges it. It slices through the fat, sharpens the celeriac, and makes the scallop taste more alive.

The trick was texture. A straight purée or gel was overpowering. Instead, I made a havtorn air — light, fleeting, tangy without being brutal. It was the only way to let sea buckthorn do its job without overwhelming everything else.

The dish:

• Cured scallop

• Celeriac purée

• Pickled celeriac

• Havtorn (sea buckthorn) air

• Celeriac top green oil

Safe roots. Risky edge.

Process

This plate is built around contrast: silky celeriac purée against crisp pickled slices, soft cured scallops anchored by a sharp sea buckthorn foam. The green oil ties it all together — not just a garnish, but a subtle herbal layer that pulls the celeriac back into focus.

The result is a fine dining-style scallop recipe that takes something safe and pushes it just a bit further, without losing balance.

Recipe

Pickled Celeriac

• Thinly slice celeriac with a mandoline.

• Pickle in:

  • 100 g sugar

  • 100 g vinegar

Celeriac Purée

• Cook celeriac until tender (steam, boil, or roast).

• Blend with butter until smooth and velvety.

Celeriac Top Green Oil

• 100 g celeriac tops

• 100 g neutral oil

• Blend until the mix hits 55°C.

• Strain through a sieve, then a coffee filter.

Cured Scallop

• Remove side muscle from scallops.

• Use scallops that have been frozen first (food safety).

• Mix 10 g salt + 10 g sugar.

• Sprinkle over scallops and cure for 12 hours.

Havtorn (Sea Buckthorn) Air

• 250 g havtorn (sea buckthorn) + 15% sugar.

• Either:

  • Cook gently in a bain-marie for 1 hour, covered with film, or

  • Let it “sugar pickle” overnight in the fridge.

• Blend briefly, strain.

• Balance acidity with sugar syrup (about 40% of weight).

For the air:

• Add 1–2% Sucro, hydrate.

• If unstable, add a little xanthan for structure.

• Sucro is forgiving — you can push up to 5%.

This scallop, celeriac, and sea buckthorn dish is about tension — safety and risk on the same plate. Scallop and celeriac keep it grounded. Havtorn pushes it to the edge. It’s Nordic cooking at its best: rooted in season, sharpened by boldness, and balanced by texture.