Best Seared Scallops With Smoky Sweet Corn Puree Recipes

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH A CORN, BACON AND AVOCADO RELISH

Steps:

• Take a small bowl and place it upside-down inside a large bowl. (This will provide a small stand for your corn, making it easier to remove the kernels, and the large bowl will catch them as the fall, avoiding a mess.) Using a knife, remove the kernels from the corn, letting them fall into the bowl.
• Dice the onion and red bell pepper and add them to the bowl with the corn. Add 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper. Mix to evenly distribute the ingredients.
• Set a pan over medium heat and add some oil. Add the corn mixture to the pan and cook until the onions begin to soften, tossing occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Sprinkle the sea scallops with salt and pepper. Set a pan over medium-high heat and add some oil. Add the scallops and sear until golden in color, about 1 minute on each side. Remove from the heat and let rest.
• Dice the avocados and add them to the corn relish along with the chopped bacon. Season with salt and pepper and mix together.
• Evenly distribute the relish among 4 plates and top each with 4 scallops. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CREAMED CORN

Steps:

• Slice the kernels off 4 ears of corn. Grate the remaining 2 ears on the large holes of a box grater.
• Bring 1/2 cup water, the vinegar, sugar and a big pinch of salt to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat; add the sliced red onion and set aside to pickle, at least 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the diced red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the evaporated milk and grated corn. Simmer until thick, 5 to 7 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, about 1 more minute.
• Divide the corn among bowls and top with the scallops. Drain the pickled onion, reserving 2 teaspoons of the liquid. Toss the onion and liquid with the tomatoes, basil and parsley; season with salt. Add to each bowl.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CORN CREAM

Steps:

• Stir corn kernels, chicken broth, 2 tablespoons butter, cayenne pepper, and salt together in a saucepan; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until corn is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Pour corn mixture into a blender no more than half full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth. Pour pureed corn mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan. Season with salt to taste.
• Toss scallops, Fresno pepper, canola oil, kosher salt, and smoked paprika in a bowl until scallops are completely coated. Separate pepper slices from scallops.
• Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Cook scallops in hot skillet until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Cook and stir sliced peppers on the side of the skillet while the scallops are cooking.
• Remove skillet from heat; transfer scallops to a plate, leaving peppers in hot skillet. Stir water and 1 tablespoon butter into peppers until butter melts. Drizzle lemon juice over peppers; stir to glaze peppers completely.
• Divide corn cream between four bowls. Place 3 scallops over corn puree and top with glazed peppers. Garnish with radish sprouts.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, oregano, thyme and lemon pepper. Roll scallops in flour mixture until lightly coated on all sides.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet or frying pan over high heat. Add 4 scallops to the pan and sear on all sides (about 2 minutes for each side). After turning scallops, add 1 tablespoon parsley and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Remove scallops from pan and place on a plate in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
• Repeat until remaining scallops are cooked, tossing each batch with parsley and lemon juice.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CORN CREAM AND MAQUE CHOUX

Steps:

• Cut the kernels off the cobs with a serrated knife, being careful not to cut too close. Place the corn with the butter, 1 cup of water, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Pour into a blender jar and pour the cream into the empty pot. Bring the cream to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer while you blend the corn mixture to a smooth puree. Strain the corn puree through a fine sieve into the saucepan with the cream, and whisk. Warm the sauce gently and taste for seasoning. Adjust to desired thickness by reducing it a little or thinning with a little more cream or water. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• Cut the kernels from the cob, being careful not to cut too close. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onion, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the corn and stir, cooking 4-5 more minutes, then add the tomato. Cook, stirring, until tomatoes are warm, then stir in the scallions. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Place a large skillet over high heat.
• Pat scallops dry with a paper towel, then season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the olive oil into the skillet and when very hot (but not quite smoking), add the scallops, being careful not to crowd them. Cook at high heat until the first side is a deep golden brown, 2-3 minutes, then turn the scallops and cook on the other side for about 2 more minutes. Scallops should be firm but not hard. Drain on paper towels. Deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons water, scraping up the brown bits. To serve, pool some of the Corn Cream onto each plate, then pile a little Maque Choux in the center of each plate. Place 3-4 scallops around the Maque Choux and drizzle with pan juices. Serve immediately.
• When pureeing a mixture that contains more solids than liquid, add the solids first, then pulse the blade to break them down, then add liquid. Use caution when blending a hot sauce, and never fill the blender more than a third full. Otherwise, the heat will force the top off the machine.
• Choux is French for "cabbage," but the translation is not literal-there is no cabbage in this dish. Since corn was not a staple of the Acadians' diet, it's believed that the Indians taught the French settlers of Louisiana to make maque choux. This dish is essentially smothered corn or a Cajun version of Yankee succotash made with tomatoes, onions, and green pepper.