We recently made another dish that featured scallops and chorizo—an odd, but very successful combination it seems. That first Scallops and Chorizo in Tomato Sauce dish was a real hit in our house, so we thought we’d give this recipe highlighting both of those same proteins an equal chance. Oh, so glad we did. Fantabulous! Is that a word?
Large sea scallops are treated to the flavorful oil left behind when you cook the chorizo—and we agree with the description from Bon Appétit, “it’s basically liquid gold!”
There is no doubt, we’ll be making this again! Of course, fresh corn on the cob is a must, so you want to be making this dish during the peak of corn season, if at all possible.
Four portions seemed a little miserly to us, allowing only three scallops per diner. Split three ways, each person gets four scallops, a more reasonable quantity. You could easily use a total of 16 scallops, instead of 12, without changing the amounts of the other ingredients.
The melded flavors are fantastic with a bright note from the squeeze of fresh lime juice. We practically licked our plates clean.
Pan-Seared Scallops with Chorizo and Corn
Ingredients
- 3 ears of corn, husked
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 oz. smoked Spanish chorizo, finely chopped
- 12 scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½–1 serrano chile (depending on heat), finely chopped
- ¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- 12 large sea scallops (about 1 lb.), side muscle removed, patted dry
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 lime, halved
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Directions
- Cut kernels from corncobs and place in a medium bowl. Using the back of a chef’s knife, scrape milk from cobs into the bowl; discard cobs.
- Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Cook chorizo, stirring occasionally, until it starts to get crisp, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour chorizo oil into a small bowl (use a slotted spoon to hold back chorizo); set chorizo oil aside.
- Return chorizo pan to medium heat and add scallions, garlic, chile, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and ¾ tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned, about 2 minutes.
- Add corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright yellow and softened, 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and let corn mixture cool in pan 5 minutes. Gently mix in buttermilk and cilantro. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
- Season scallops generously with salt. Heat reserved chorizo oil and remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until just beginning to smoke. Cook scallops on one side, reducing heat if they are taking on too much color and moving around in pan for even browning, until a golden brown crust forms on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and turn scallops over. Add butter to skillet and, using a spoon, baste scallops with butter 30 seconds. Transfer scallops to a plate. Squeeze halved lime over.
- Divide corn mixture among plates and arrange scallops on top. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Recipe by Molly Baz for Bon Appétit
Accounting for Taste 