SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CREAMY SUMMER SUCCOTASH

Seared Scallops with Creamy Summer Succotash image

Tender scallops and sweet corn are a classic combination, but we upped the ante by making a creamy summer succotash. Along with freshly shucked corn, we added haricots verts, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes and basil -- seasonal ingredients that are available fresh all summer long.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories main-dish

Time 40m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

4 tablespoons canola oil
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 small red onion, diced
4 ears corn, shucked and kernels cut off
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 ounces haricots verts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1 1/4 pounds large sea scallops (about 20), "foot" muscle removed, patted dry (see Cook's Note)

Steps:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until well browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook, stirring often, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Add the corn and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the corn is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Combine 1/2 cup of the corn mixture with the heavy cream in a blender. Blend until smooth and reserve.
Add 1 more tablespoon of the oil to the skillet with the remaining corn mixture and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the haricots verts and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until the haricots verts are bright green and crisp tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, reserved corn puree and pancetta. Cook until the mixture is bubbling and warmed through, about 1 minute. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside and keep warm over low heat.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and sear until just cooked through, about 1 minute more.
Stir half the torn basil into the corn mixture, then spoon the succotash onto plates. Top with the seared scallops and serve with more torn basil on top.