A great dinner at Red Light (7700 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-757-7773) the other night of "crushed pepper seared sea scallops, roasted corn spoon bread and spicy orange drip" inspired this home-cooked riff.
Zesty lemon and lime-marinated sea scallops, giant and plump, meet rich, nutty sweet corn. It comes together fast and wows on the plate. A side of sauteed shallots with mixed wild mushrooms, like trumpet with their hearty, meaty stems, is a perfect accompaniment. The only part that can become time-consuming with this meal is sourcing incredibly fresh produce, for which you should go to the farmer's market. It's well worth it though!
Lemon-Lime Scallops with Buttered Sweet Corn
Serves 2
4 Large sea scallops (we got ours, the size of baseballs, at Norman Brother's)
1 Lemon, 1/2 zested and all of its juice
1 Lime, 1/2 zested and all of its juice
1/2 Cup plus 1 tbsp fruity extra virgin olive oil
1 Ear sweet yellow corn, kerneled
1/4 Cup Chardonnay
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 Cup flat leaf parsely, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Place scallops in a medium mixing bowl and add lemon and lime zest, juice, 1/2 cup of oil, and half of the parsley, and generously season with salt and pepper. Let rest for 5 minutes. Heat a medium stainless steel pan on high and add the tbsp of oil to the pan. When it shimmers, add the scallops and sear for 3 minutes. (Save the marinating liquid, which will be used later.) Using tongs, turn the scallops over (the side that has been searing should be golden brown, with the muscle breaking apart ever so slightly,) reduce the heat slightly, and cover. Cook for 3 more minutes (with smaller scallops needing less time.) Remove cover and using the tongs, gently peel away the scallops from the pan and set aside on a plate. Deglaze the pan with the chardonnay and add the marinating liquid. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until it has reduced slightly. A liquor will seep from the scallops as they rest, so at this point, add it to the pan, cook for 1 minute.Add the corn, butter, a pinch of salt and pepper, and stir until combined, about 1 minute. The parsley can be added at this stage or sprinkled at plating. Remove from heat and set aside. Plate the scallops and the corn, and enjoy!
