Celebrate seasonal summer flavours in this easy recipe for Summer Corn Salad with Pan-Seared Scallops. Fresh corn is cooked with butter and jalapeno peppers, tossed with fresh red onion and cilantro, and topped with succulent sea scallops. This dish is best enjoyed with a chilled glass of Haywire Chardonnay to compliment the buttery scallops and corn salad.
This recipe was developed in collaboration with Okanagan Crush Pad.
Celebrating the Best Seasonal Summer Flavours and Local Wine
This Summer Corn Salad with Pan-Seared Scallops recipe truly celebrates summer ingredients. Delicious sweet corn provides the foundation for this recipe. It is complimented by Mexican-inspired ingredients including red onion, fresh jalapeno pepper, cilantro, and lime. There is no dressing for this salad as I wanted the flavours of the corn and scallops to really be the star, but I do cook the corn and scallops in a bit of butter, which compliments the wine.
I selected one of my favourite wines, Haywire Chardonnay, for this recipe. Chardonnay is typically a very buttery and smooth wine, which really compliments the scallops. This particular chardonnay from Haywire has a bit more oomph and flavour compared to typical chardonnays, so it can really stand up to the bolder flavours in this recipe including the jalapeno peppers and cilantro.
You can purchase Haywire Chardonnay online here.
My Tips for Searing Scallops
Scallops are a high-end ingredient and it is useful to know how to cook them properly. In this recipe, I opted to used sea scallops due to their large size and savoury flavour. You can make this recipe with smaller scallops, like bay scallops, if desired.
Here are my tops tips on how to cook scallops:
- Pat Dry: Ensure scallops are thoroughly dried on both sides using paper towels to achieve a good sear.
- Use a Very Hot Pan: Preheat your pan on medium-high heat until it is very hot before adding oil. The pan should be so hot that you should almost not be able to hold your hand above the pan for more than three seconds.
- Oil Choice: Once the pan is hot, add the oil. I use grapeseed oil since it has a high smoke point. Avocado oil is a good alternative.
- Avoid Over-Crowding: Ensure that you do not over-crowd the pan so that the scallops really sear (and don’t steam!). Fry in batches if needed.
- Do Not Move the Scallops: As the scallops sear on each side, ensure that you do not move them. This will tear the crust or prevent it from forming. Cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes per side.
Get the Recipe: Summer Corn Salad with Pan-Seared Scallops
Summer Corn Salad with Pan-Seared Scallops
Ingredients
For the Summer Corn Salad:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 ears fresh corn shucked, kernels removed from cobs
- 2 large jalapeno peppers seeds removed, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup red onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish
- 1 lime cut into wedges, for garnish
For the Pan-Seared Scallops:
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 10 sea scallops
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the fresh corn kernels, the chopped jalapeno, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until the corn is bright yellow and cooked through.
- Once cooked, remove from the heat and let it cool slightly. Reserve the red onion and cilantro to add in later once the corn has cooled.
- To prepare the scallops, pat the tops and bottoms of the scallops completely dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle evenly with the salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the grapeseed oil. Add the scallops in an even layer to the pan, spacing them out so that they do not touch. Cook the scallops on the first side for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure to not touch or move them in the pan to create a golden sear. Flip to the other side, add the butter, and cook for another 2 minutes. Baste the scallops in the butter as they finish cooking on the second side. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Toss the red onion and the cilantro with the cooled corn salad. Set aside.
- To serve, divide the corn salad amongst two serving plates and top with 5 scallops per plate. Garnish with extra fresh cilantro and a few wedges of lime. Serve immediately with a glass of chilled Haywire Chardonnay and enjoy!