Pan seared scallops over sweet corn purée
I just need to take a minute, even though we are still living in a wintery wonderland, to appreciate the fact that we live on the Seacoast. Last weekend, we took a trip to Rye Harbor to pick up scallops that were caught literally the day before. Rimrack Fish did not disappoint; these beauties tasted amazing. And best of all, they freeze well so we have four more pounds in our freezer! Oh, the possibilities.
Scallops are kind of my Achilles heel - if I see them on a menu, I put blinders on to all other dishes. I love them so much that 9 times out of 10, I will order them (even if they come with some sides that aren't my fave). Scallops pair well with many things and for this recipe, I chose a sweet corn purée along with some simple, sautéed chopped mushrooms. I will gladly make this recipe again in the summer when I have fresh corn on the cob at my disposal, but I can assure you that it still turned out quite delicious with frozen corn.
I've had this recipe in my "to make" binder for so long that the link to the original isn’t live anymore. It was adapted from a recipe that appeared on Season 9 of Top Chef during an elimination challenge.
My favorite preparation for scallops is a simple pan sear, which lucky for you, is quite easy and will impress your dining companions. Hope you enjoy this recipe and if you live on the Seacoast of New Hampshire, get yourself some seafood from Rimrack!
Pan seared scallops over sweet corn purée
Adapted from Top Chef
Time: About an hour
Level: Medium
Ingredients
4 shallots, finely diced
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lb frozen corn
1/2 cup half & half
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz baby bellas, chopped
1 lb sea scallops (for me, this was 13)
Fresh chives, chopped
Directions
Sweat shallots: melt 1.5 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan on medium low heat. Add the shallots, cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a couple times.
Add corn kernels and cook down on low, uncovered, for 20 minutes. You want the heat low because you aren't sautéing, you don't want any coloring on the corn.
While this is cooking, remove the side muscle from your scallops (this should easily peel off). Place the scallops on a plate, and pat dry on both sides with a paper towel.
Purée the corn/shallow mixture in a blender on high, adding half and half until you get the consistency you like (I used half a cup). Season with salt and pepper; place in a pot and keep warm on the stove (I put the heat on very low to keep this warm but you could just cover the pot).
Sautée mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium high heat until browned. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm on the stove while you make your scallops. You want everything ready to go so you can serve as soon as the scallops are done.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan on medium high. Season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper. Sear scallops on each side until golden brown. Do not touch them while they are searing so they are able to develop a nice crust. This took about 1.5 minutes per side for me. Becausey you don't want to crowd scallops while they are cooking, I did have to sear them in two batches. Just place the finished ones in a plate and cover with foil to keep them warm while you sear the rest.
Plate: place a line of corn puree on the plate, then place scallops on top. Sprinkle mushrooms around the scallops then garnish everything with chives. Serve immediately! Scallops cool very quickly.
Mangia!