seared scallops with corn pudding and marinated tomatoes

This is the summeriest of summer meals I could have possibly put together. We have all the seasonal favorites making an appearance: the corn, the tomatoes, and the soft leafy herbs. This dish has the ingredient all-star lineup that summer dreams are made of. If I were to have a dream end-of-summer (Covid-free) dinner where everyone is sitting together shoulder to shoulder, clinking glasses, and talking loudly with mouths exposed, I would want to serve this meal.

I prepare the tomatoes for this, just as I do for the marinated tomato pasta. It’s such a good recipe to have on hand because you can use it in so many different applications. Here, I’m treating it more like a salad than a sauce (talk about range!). The tangy tomatoes pair perfectly with the creamy corn pudding. Topped with seared scallops and a bright herby salsa, and this dish is truly * chef kiss *.

The corn pudding, which is arguably the star of this recipe, is a method I learned while working at Jean Georges’ now closed Chicago restaurant, The Pump Room. (Thanks chef!) This was my first real cooking job, which I worked immediately after college. At the time, it seemed impossibly fancy. I felt like glorified professional as I walked into the alleyway kitchen entrance wearing rubber Birkenstock clogs, stolen from my mom’s gardening supplies, to clock in for my first shift as basement prep cook. If the basement descriptor didn’t do enough to suggest this already, this was the lowest cook position—and I was thrilled.

Enter: corn pudding. This is a genius preparation of corn, in my opinion. Basically, we would grate raw corn on a box grater and bake the pulp, unseasoned, in a cast iron skillet until it became golden brown and much of the liquid had evaporated. While still hot, we would mix the corn pulp with butter, and season it with salt and lime juice. The result is something like polenta but creamier and sweeter.

Here, I’ve made it a little easier, by simply cutting the kernels off of the cobs and pulsing them in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, or you just don’t want to haul it out of the weird, jumbled cabinet where you keep miscellaneous cooking equipment, using a box grater gives you the same result. Just watch your thumbs!

I finish this dish with a bright herby salsa smattered on top, because I like to use as many herbs as often as possible. I use a food processor for that, as well. However, you can do this by hand, by chopping the herbs as finely as possible and stirring in the olive oil and lemon juice, or using a mortar and pestle. Aesthetically, that’s the superior choice, now that I think about it.

Seared Scallops with Corn Pudding and Marinated Tomatoes

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

12 scallops

2 tablespoons canola oil (add more as needed)

Kosher salt, to taste

For Corn Pudding:

7 ears of corn, shucked and kernels cut off the cob

1/2 stick butter

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon. Season to your taste)

1 teaspoon salt (season to taste)

For Tomato Salad:

4 pints cherry tomatoes

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for pasta water)

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

For Salsa Verde:

1 cup parsley

1 cup dill

1 bunch green onions

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt (to taste)

Instructions

Step 1:

Prepare the tomato salad by slicing each tomato in half and combining with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, ground pepper, red pepper flakes, and thinly sliced shallots. Set aside, at room temperature, to marinate.

Step 2:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place corn kernels in a food processor and pulse until it becomes a pulpy consistency. It should be almost the texture of cottage cheese. Transfer to a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, a heavy sauté pan will also work. Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake until golden brown and most of the liquid has evaporated. This will vary, but it will take about 30-40 minutes.

Step 3:

Once the corn mixture has baked, scoop the corn into a bowl. Stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Season with salt and lemon juice. Leave this on the stove or in the oven, turned off, to stay warm while you sear your scallops.

Step 4:

For the salsa verde, combine the parsley, dill, and green onion, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.

Step 5:

Place your scallops, in a single layer, on a plate layered with a few sheets of paper towels. Pat dry with another paper towel. This is for maximum browning when searing. Season both sides with salt. Place a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is very hot (but not smoking!) add half of the scallops, spacing them evenly in the pan. Allow to cook, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes. flip and allow to cook 1 more minutes. Do not overcook! Remove from pan and transfer to plate. Cook the remaining scallops the same way.

Step 6:

To plate, place the corn pudding in the base of your bowl or plate. Top with tomato salad and scallops. Finish with the salsa verde and enjoy!