Seared scallops with potato celery root puree

Chop the white and light green parts of the leeks.

Peel and dice the Yukon gold potatoes; trim and dice the celery root.

Add the potatoes, celery root, cream, salt and pepper to the pot, stir and bring to a boil.

For basil-infused olive oil, crush basil leaves slightly in a bowl with the back of a wooden spoon and cover with olive oil (the book says two weeks on a sunny windowsill).

Pour the mixture into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed.

Season the scallops generously with salt and pepper and sear undisturbed until golden brown on the bottoms, about three minutes a side by the book (here nearly double); do not crowd them or they steam rather than sear.