Warm corn salad with seared scallops

An easy and delicious way to prepare my favourite shellfish!

Did you know that late summer and early fall are some of the best times to enjoy shellfish from Canada’s east coast? In honour of this, Ottawa’s Pelican Seafood Market & Grill is going all out this year for their annual Seafood Shell Fest. They offered me the chance to create a recipe as part of the celebration, and I chose my very favourite shellfish – scallops. The trick with cooking scallops, as I learned when I attended Pelican Seafood’s School of Fish, is to be sure your pan is hot enough, your scallops are nice and dry, and you don’t disturb them while they are developing the desired golden crust on the outside. If you want to watch a pro sear scallops, check out this great video made by Pelican’s executive chef, Ben Baird. You can get top-quality scallops at Pelican’s seafood counter or, if you don’t feel like cooking, their restaurant menu may tempt you to ‘shellebrate’ with the many delicious specials on offer during Shell Fest. And if you’re looking for more shellfish inspiration, check out this tasty mussel recipe I created for Pelican Seafood Market & Grill in 2022.

Ingredients

• 2 large ears fresh corn
• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) canola oil, divided
• 1 cup (175 g) diced orange bell pepper
• 4 green onions (scallions), chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup (149 g) halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 slices pickled jalapeno (or 1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeds removed and diced)
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) red wine vinegar
• 6 – 8 large sea scallops, thawed if frozen
• 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter
• Minced parsley, for garnish
• Sliced green onion tops, for garnish

Method

• Shuck corn and drizzle with 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of the oil. Grill or roast over medium-high heat (375F) for about 8 minutes, until corn is beginning to char and kernels have softened. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes then remove kernels with a large knife or corn stripper and set aside, discarding cobs. 
• Heat 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add orange pepper, green onions, garlic and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes until just beginning to feel tender. Add jalapeno and grilled corn kernels and cook for 3 more minutes, until warmed through. Stir in red wine vinegar then taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.
• While corn mixture is cooking, remove and discard the little adductor muscle off the side of each scallop. Pat scallops dry; season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat remaining oil (just under 2 tablespoons / 30 mL) in a large, heavy skillet placed over medium-high heat.
• Once the oil is sizzling, gently place scallops in the pan (be sure not to crowd them), and cook for 2-3 minutes, undisturbed, so a golden-brown crust can form on the bottom. Watch for the crust forming at the edges and after two minutes, gently lift the edge of one scallop to see if it’s ready. Extend cooking time briefly if needed, then flip and cook on the second side for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to overcook them. After flipping, add the butter to the pan and swirl it so it melts and flavours the scallops.
• While scallops are cooking, divide the corn mixture among two broad, shallow bowls or plates. As soon as the scallops are seared on both sides, place them on top of the corn, drizzle pan juices over, then garnish with minced herbs and sliced green onions. Enjoy warm.

Serves 2; recipe can easily be multiplied.

Disclaimer: I was gifted the scallops used to develop this recipe but, as always, all opinions are my own.