Summer Scallops and Polenta
Summer Scallops and Polenta
Ingredients:
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Yellow Corn Polenta
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 lb fresh, cleaned sea scallops
4 bacon strips, chopped
1 ear of corn, off the cob
½ cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
½ red onion, diced
1 jalapeño, diced (seeds removed if preferred)
2 scallion stalks, sliced on the bias
2 Tbsp salted butter
2 limes, juiced
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Allow your scallops to come to room temperature while resting on paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.
Start by chopping the bacon and putting into a large, cold skillet. Turn the heat up to medium to let the bacon render and crisp up. While that goes, slice and chop the ingredients for the summer topping. I recommend putting the sliced scallions and red onion in small, separate bowls of water after chopping until ready to combine. This technique will eliminate any residual sliminess off the scallions and will take the harsh edge off of the raw red onion. Toss the corn, halved tomatoes, diced jalapeño, red onion, and scallions together with a gratuitous pinch of kosher salt and the lime juice. Taste for salt and acidity, and reserve in the refrigerator until plating. When the bacon is finished, reserve on a plate lined with paper towels and reserve a few tablespoons of the bacon fat.
In a separate pot, bring the stock to a rolling boil. Season as needed with additional kosher salt, and then begin to add the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Yellow Corn Polenta. Stir continuously until the liquid is absorbed and the polenta is thickened. Carefully add in the reserved bacon fat drippings from the other skillet and vigorously combine. Turn off the heat and cover with a lid until ready to plate.
In the same skillet as the bacon, melt and brown two tablespoons of salted butter. Season your scallops with kosher salt and cracked pepper, and carefully place them down to sear for 90 seconds per side. After flipping the first side, baste the scallops in the bacon butter while they finish cooking. Remove from the heat and begin plating.
Start with a bed of the polenta, creating a divet in the center. Then top with a few spoonfuls of the summer vegetables, and place the scallops on top. Finish with the bacon bits and a bit more of the vegetable garnish, and enjoy!
