For the soup:

1. Peel the ginger and slice into thin rounds. An easy way to peel ginger is to drag the serrated edge of a grapefruit spoon against the brown outer skin – it comes off easily!
2. Place the chopped ginger, carrots and 32 ounces of chicken stock in a pot. Reserve the rest of the stock. Bring to a boil and cook until both the carrots and ginger are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Puree the carrots and ginger with the cooking liquid in a blender. You’re aiming for a smooth puree. Return to the pot, add the rest of the chicken stock until the mixture is thick but pourable. Add the lemon juice, taste, and add more salt as needed. Gently heat while you cook the scallops.
4. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the butter and olive oil. Remove the tough adductor muscle (the tiny strap) from the side of the scallops. Lightly sprinkle the scallops with sea salt and place in the hot pan.
5. Sear the scallops for a minute or two, check that they’re nicely browned, then turn over and cook on the other side.
6. Divide the soup between 6 shallow soup bowls and gently place a scallop in the center of each dish. Drizzle generously with the chive oil and garnish with pink peppercorns, if using.

For the chive oil:

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil and blanch the chives for just a minute or so. Immediately drain and place in a bath or cold water to stop them cooking further and to retain the bright green color.
2. Thoroughly dry the chives. When dry, roughly chop them.
3. Place the chives and the oil in the bowl of a small food processor. Blitz the mixture then pour through a fine mesh sieve or a larger sieve lined with cheesecloth. Use the back of a spoon to press the chives to get as much of the vibrant green as possible.
4. Store in a jar or ideally a squeeze bottle until you’re ready to plate.