We’ve collected a plethora of wonderful recipes from chefs over the past 8.5 years and we want to share what we have. Check back here twice a week for new content from your favorite Philly and out of town chefs to add some spice to your home cooking repertoire.

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Few chefs have graced the COOK kitchen as often as Joncarl Lachman of Noord and Winkel. His first COOK appearance was in February of 2013, when he offered a sneak peek of his then upcoming Noord, East Passyunk’s beloved Northern European BYOB. From the first bite, we knew we’d be inviting Joncarl back again and again, and we’re so glad he accepted our invitations. Since that first fateful evening, Team COOK has shared so much with Joncarl – countless bottles of bubbly, more Laura Branigan tunes than we would otherwise ever hear in a lifetime, and more pre-event containers of Swedish Fish than we care to admit.

For today’s recipe, we’re going back to that first bite than Joncarl shared with COOK guests – zaansemosterdsoep (mustard soup) with scallop, caviar and tarragon oil. Smakelijk!

Zaansemosterdsoep (Mustard Soup) with Scallop, Caviar, Tarragon Oil

Mustard Soup:
1/2 lb unsalted butter
8 large carrots, peeled, rough chopped
2 large onions, rough chopped
heaping tsp caraway seeds
2 cups quality grain mustard (Yes, 2 cups! It’s mustard soup, after all!)
1/2 gallon chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
white pepper and kosher salt, to taste

Toppings:
Seared Scallop
Caviar (Your choice of variety!)
Tarragon Oil

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large sauce pan. Add the carrots, onion and caraway and lightly season. Sweat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add the stock and mustard and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. After 15 minutes (or until carrots are soft), remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add the cream, salt and pepper. Pour into a large non-reactive container and chill. The soup is best on the second day. Serve with a drizzle of tarragon oil (see below) and a seared diver scallop (also, see below), topped with caviar.

For the Scallop:
Buy the freshest scallops possible. U-10 ( 10 to a pound) works best for this recipe. In a fry pan heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil until just smoking. Season the scallops generously and place in the pan. A nice golden crust will form after about one minute. Turn the scallops over and turn off the heat. They are ready!

For the Tarragon Oil:
In a blender place one tablespoon of chopped fresh tarragon and one cup of canola oil. Blend quickly and add a bit of salt and pepper.

For those days when you simply don’t feel like cooking, The Philadelphia Inquirer has a comprehensive list of area restaurants who are offering takeout and delivery!