Seared Scallops & Potato Celery Root Puree

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Rinse the leeks well in a colander, spin them dry in a salad spinner and add them to the pot. Saute them over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender but not browned. Add the potatoes, celery root, cream, 4 tsp salt and 2 tsp butter to the pot, stir and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to very low, cover the pot and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender. Be careful - let the vegetables scorch on the bottom of the pan. In batches, pour the mixture in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed. Taste for seasonings, return to the saucepan and keep warm over very low heat. If the mixture gets too thick, add a little more cream.

If it hasn't already been removed, peel off the tough strip of muscle on the side of each scallop. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season them generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat two 12 in. saute pans over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbl of grapeseed oil to each pan and, when the oil is almost smoking hot, add half the scallops to each pan. Cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes, until golden brown on the bottoms. Don't crowd the scallops or they'll steam rather than sear. Using a small metal spatula, turn the scallops and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until just cooked through. If the pan is hot enough and you let the scallops cook undistrubed, they won't stick to the pan.

Spoon the warm puree onto 6 dinner plates. Place the scallops on the puree, drizzle with the basil oil, and sprinkle with the chives and serve warm.