Seared Scallops and Succotash

Succotash and Seared Scallops Dish Guide

For The Succotash

2-3 ears of fresh corn cut off the cob (about 1-1 1/4 cups)

1 cup lima beans cooked per package directions

3-4 leaves of fresh basil

2 T unsalted butter

1 small minced onion (1/2 cup)

1 minced clove of garlic

3 strips of bacon

8-10 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the bacon in a pan until crisp and set aside to drain. Drain most of the fat from the pan leaving a tablespoon or less. Add the fresh corn and onion and season and cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and the corn is cooked and slightly browned. Add the cooked, drained lima beans and garlic and stir to combine. Cook for a minute or two to soften the garlic. Turn off the heat and add two tablespoons of butter and stir gently to combine the butter and vegetables. Finally add the tomatoes and tear in the fresh basil.

For The Scallops

1 lb sea scallops/diver scallops

reserved bacon fat

1 lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dry the scallops very thoroughly and remove the little side muscle if it is still attached. We mistakenly identified it as the adductor muscle in the video which in fact is the entire "scallop itself". Season with salt. In a medium high pre-heated pan, add a tablespoon of the reserved bacon grease. Place the scallops in in a clockwise fashion and do not overcrowd the pan. Sear for 2 minutes and flip. Cook for 1 minute longer and remove and drizzle with fresh lemon juice and season with fresh pepper if desired.

For The Pesto

1 cup lightly packed basil leaves

1 T chopped walnuts or pine nuts

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large clove garlic

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until combined, adding more oil if needed to achieve the desired consistency.

Plate the succotash as a base on the plate. Add the scallops on top and gently spoon a bit of pesto on the edge of each scallop so as to not totally cover the sear. Garnish with the bacon, crumbled finely.

Dish Notes

To make this pescatarian just omit the bacon and cook everything in olive oil and/or butter. To make it vegan, use only olive oil and omit the parmesan from the pesto (substitute with nutritional yeast) and the scallops (or substitute with a plant based protein of your choosing). The succotash is excellent tossed with a bit of pesto and eaten as a side or main dish! Do you have to plate this up so elegantly? No! But we at Dishing Out, among other efforts, hope to demonstrate how simple it is to make elegantly plated food that tastes as good as it looks!