Potato Chip Sandwich with Scallops, Caviar, and Bass Tartare

To prepare the chips: Preheat the oven to 300 F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush the paper with butter. Sprinkle the paper with salt and pepper. Pare the potato and trim into a uniform cylinder. Cut into very thin slices on a mandoline or V-slicer; you will need 32 slices. Put the slices on the buttered parchment in a single layer. Brush the slices with butter and top with another sheet of parchment paper to keep them flat. Bake 15 to 25 minutes, until golden and crisp. Set aside.

To prepare the celery leaf garnish: Wash the celery leaves, then blot completely dry with paper towels. Heat the peanut oil to 370 F in a deep-fryer or deep saucepan. Put the celery leaves in the hot oil and fry for 30 to 40 seconds, until crisp but not browned. Lift out with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer; drain on paper towels. Set aside.

To prepare the tartare: Cut the bass fillets into small cubes (1/4-inch dice). Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the celery, chives, cayenne, and champagne and set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.

To prepare the sauce: Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat and add the leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside. Put the remaining tablespoon of butter and shallots in a medium saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Cook until the shallots are soft and translucent, but not browned. Pour in the champagne and stir up the bits from the bottom of the pan; cook until half the liquid has evaporated. Add the cream and reduce again by one third. Lower the heat to medium-low. Slowly whisk in the cold butter, a tablespoon at a time, moving the pan on and off the heat to control the temperature so that the sauce does not break (if it begins showing yellow butter streaks, remove it from the heat and quickly whisk in several cold pieces of butter until it recombines). Set the butter sauce aside, keeping it warm in an insulated container or over a bowl of very warm water.

To cook the scallops: Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Place a medium saute pan or skillet over high and add the butter. When the butter melts, place the scallops in the pan and sear on both sides until golden brown on the outside and opaque throughout, about 30 seconds per side. Baste the scallops with pan juices as they cook. Set aside off the heat.

To serve: Stir the lemon juice into the bass tartare. Place a 4-inch ring mold in the center of each serving plate an fill with tartare, pressing down gently. Place 4 dabs of caviar on each plate, north, south, east, and west. Put a potato chip on each dab. Put a scallop on top of each chip, then top each with another dab of caviar. Put a chip on top of each. Lift the molds. Add the leeks to the sauce and spoon champagne sauce over and around the tartare. Speckle the plates with flash-fried celery leaves.