Galton Blackiston of Morston Hall has combined the fruits of the earth and the sea to create this warming soup which complements the season perfectly. Photograph: Simon Lunt.

This is the time of the year when Jerusalem artichokes are readily available. I always like to use the freshest local ingredients at Morston and enjoy the seasonal variations that we get. Right now we are serving this delicious, warming soup which somehow always reminds me of dark evenings and log fires.

Many people shy away from Jerusalem artichokes – possibly not really knowing what to do with them – they have a very distinctive flavour and cooked this way combine brilliantly with briskly seared fresh scallops.

Artichoke Soup With Seared Scallops
Serves eight

1lb (peeled weight) Jerusalem artichokes
¾ pint milk
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium potato, peeled and thinly sliced
2oz salted butter
1 pint white chicken stock
Salt and pepper
A little white truffle oil to drizzle (optional)

Prepare the artichokes
Peel the artichokes, cut into cubes, place in a heavy based saucepan, cover with the milk, bring to the boil and simmer gently till soft. (If you peel the artichokes in advance keep them in water to which you have added a good squeeze of lemon juice to avoid discoloration.)

Sweat the onion and potato
In a large saucepan sweat the onion with the potato in the butter over a medium heat until soft and translucent.

Add the artichokes
When the artichokes are cooked, pour them to-gether with the milk into the saucepan with the onion and potato, add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and mix thoroughly.

Liquidise the mixture
Now blitz the whole lot in a liquidiser and pass through a fine sieve, taste and season with salt and pepper.

Return to saucepan
If serving immediately return the soup to a clean saucepan and bring to just below boiling point before serving in a soup bowl adding a swirl of white truffle oil for pure indulgence. This soup can easily be made in advance, cooled and refrigerated and then gently re-heated when required.

For the scallops
You will need two king scallops per person. Get your fishmonger to prepare the scallops for you, making sure that the muscle is removed. Whether you retain or remove the coral is a personal choice – I prefer to remove it.

Sear the scallops
Just before serving the soup heat a frying pan to very hot, put in a dash of vegetable oil, season the scallops with salt and pepper before searing them briskly for about two minutes on each side, they should be lightly coloured.

Serve the scallops either in the soup or
as an accompaniment on the side.

Morston Hall can be contacted on 01263 7140141. Galton Blackiston’s book, Recipes From Morston Hall, costs £17.95 and is available from leading bookshops. Otherwise call 0800 9171650 9am-5pm Monday to Friday to order one.