Enjoy the best of summer produce with this corn salad topped with seared and butter basted scallops.
- Prep Time:
45 mins - Cook Time:
15 mins - Total Time:
1 hr mins
I have a small confession. After shooting this dish of seared scallops with corn salad, I was going to share it with my daughter. But then I didn’t. It was too good.
Before you judge me as a bad mother, I should say that I did make this recipe for dinner the same night. I just didn’t share the extra serving that I had prepared specifically for the shoot. There, now you can judge me.
Corn, ripe tomatoes, and fresh herbs are all at their peak right now and this recipe makes great use of them. It’s from Food and Wine magazine which I’m loving for dinner inspiration right now.
The corn gets a nice smokiness from the grill before being tossed with more veggies and dressed with a bright miso vinaigrette. Then it’s topped with some perfectly seared scallops basted in butter. Can you really blame me for not sharing. I’ve made scallops before but I think these were the best I’ve ever made.
This dish is also perfect for dinner guests – make the salad and dressing in advance then sear the scallops just before serving.
Easy, elegant, make ahead – does it get any better?
Seared Scallops with Corn Salad and Miso Dressing
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Enjoy the best of summer produce with this corn salad topped with seared and butter basted scallops.
Ingredients
For the miso vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger (I use a microplane)
- 1 small mild chile pepper (such as jalapeño, aleppo, or serrano), seeded and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the corn salad
- 3 medium ears fresh yellow corn, shucked
- 4 medium scallions
- 1 tablespoon grape seed or canola oil
- 1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs such as basil, chives, and/or mint, roughly chopped (see Notes)
For the scallops
- 12 large sea scallops (about 1 pound)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
For the miso vinaigrette
- Whisk. Whisk together miso, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, lime zest, lime juice, brown sugar, ginger, and chile pepper in a small bowl until miso is dissolved. Whisk in olive oil until dressing is emulsified. Set aside.
For the corn salad
- Prep grill. Heat a grill to high (450-500 degrees F) or heat a grill pan over high heat.
- Cook corn and scallions. Brush corn and scallions with oil, and grill, uncovered, turning occasionally, until just tender and slightly charred, about 4 minutes for scallions and 10 minutes for corn.
- Chop. When cool enough to handle, cut corn kernels off cobs, and roughly chop scallions into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Toss. Toss together corn, scallions, edamame, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add herbs and miso vinaigrette; toss to combine.
For the scallops
- Prep scallops. Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Cook scallops. Heat grape seed oil in large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the scallops and cook until the bottoms are well browned, about 3 minutes. Flip the scallops and add butter to the skillet. Continue cooking while basting the scallops with the melted butter until cooked through, 1-2 minutes more.
For serving
- Plate. Divide salad among 4 shallow bowls. Top each serving with 3 scallops. Sprinkle with additional herbs if desired.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, June 2019.
- Dressing can be made up to 1 week in advance (stored covered in the refrigerator).
- The mint adds a nice brightness to the salad but it can be overwhelming so I suggest using it sparingly.
Maureen Murphy says
This is lovely! I have a thing about eating scallops “in season” and might make this in late fall or through January. Was thinking that freezing some corn nibblets and maybe roasting some winter cherry tomatoes to up the flavor could work. Or maybe a fall-winter salad with citrus dressing, quinoa, some diced leftover root veggies, a few cranberries (dried) and walnuts and baby kale.
Or eating the salad in summer with some sort of broiled/grilled chicken dish! But the colors are gorgeous. And THANK YOU for showing a photo of the ingredients first. Great work!
M. Murphy (“Moe”)
Nguyet Vo says
Thanks, Maureen! Happy this recipe was so inspiring for you. All your ideas sound fabulous!!