Chris Crary

While the menu at hotel restaurant 1 Kitchen Nashville leans deep into fresh, locally sourced fare, one of its most popular dishes is designed around an ingredient that travels some 6,000 miles to land on guests’ plates. Hokkaido scallops, which hail from Japan, are renowned for their impressive size, as well as their sweet, buttery flavor. “They are the star of the dish, and I’m just trying to put them on a pedestal,” says Chris Crary, culinary director.

To best showcase the scallops, Crary demonstrates a deft hand in selecting complementary seasonal ingredients. For the menu debut, these included acorn squash purée, fried Marcona almonds, crispy sunchokes, maple-sherry vinegar and brown butter. “Each item is used to highlight the flavor of the scallops and also offer contrasts,” says Crary. For example, the savory, earthy notes of the squash and the salty, nutty taste of the almonds balance the clean, sweet flavor of the scallops. The crispy sunchokes deliver a light, fun, potato chip-like texture, while the maple-sherry vinegar lends a slightly sweet and acidic accent note, rounded out by the rich, nutty taste of the brown butter. “Guests tell us this is the best scallop dish they have ever had,” he says.

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