Sea Scallops with Corn Ragu

In this straightforward recipe from chef Eric Swartz, scallops get a dash of end-of-the-summer flair with the addition of super seasonal roasted corn ragu. With two beloved New England staples featured in all their delicious glory, this dish is a perfect meal for the holiday weekend. If the weather’s nice you can even fire up the grill and prepare the corn and the scallops outside – just be sure you’ve got big plump scallops (or skewers), very clean grill grates and a high heat oil to prevent sticking.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh sea scallops (20 count)
2 ears fresh sweet corn
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup white onion, finely diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
2 ounces white wine
8 ounces heavy cream
kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
canola oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Husk the ears of corn, removing all corn hairs. Rub each ear with canola oil and season with salt & black pepper. Place ears on a baking tray and roast until corn kernels are tender and slightly caramelized. Remove corn from tray and allow to cool.
Over medium flame, heat a saucepan with 1/2 ounce of canola oil. When oil is hot add onion, red pepper, and garlic. Sauté until tender and onions are clear. Add cumin and fennel seed and stir well. Add white wine and stir well to deglaze the pan. Add heavy cream and simmer 20 minutes. Remove corn kernels from cooled ears with knife and add to saucepan. Turn down heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Place scallops onto a clean dry work surface and season with salt and black pepper. Over medium-high flame, heat a non-stick sauté pan with 1/2 ounce of canola oil. When oil is hot add scallops to pan. Cook until golden in color, turn and cook other side until golden. Remove pan with scallops from stove and set aside.
To serve, divide ragu equally into 4 warmed shallow bowls. Place 3 cooked scallops into each bowl on top of the ragu in the shape of a triangle. place fourth scallop on top of other three. Sprinkle scallops with fresh chopped chives and serve.