seared scallops with fresh corn polenta

fresh corn polenta is a magical taste sensation, with or without the scallops.

jacques pepin introduced me to fresh polenta, and i've been in love ever since (with jacques and this polenta). it's fantastically easy if you get a corn zipper. all the deliciousness of eating it off the cob, with none of the teeth picking afterwards. so super summery when paired with scallops and covered in a basil mint dressing. it comes together fast, which is great when you don't want to stand over a stove in the the heat of the season.

jacques pepin's fresh corn polenta

• about 1 1/2 ears of corn per person, shucked and cut (or zipped) from the cob
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper

preparation:

• blend the corn in a blender until smooth.
• melt the butter in a saucepan, add the corn, salt, and pepper. bring to a boil and cook for 30 seconds, stirring every so often to prevent it from sticking to the pot.

lemon herb oil

• 1/2 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• zest of 1 lemon
• salt/pepper
• juice from 1/2 a lemon

preparation:

• in a mortar and pestle, smash up the garlic and herbs. when they've broken down, add the oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper. stir everything to combine. just before serving, add lemon juice (it will brown the herbs if you add it too soon)
• alternately, blend up everything but the lemon juice, or toss it in a food processor. same dif.

seared scallops

• 4-5 large scallops per person
• about 1 tablespoons lemon herb oil per person
• salt/pepper

preparation:

• put a large non-stick pan on medium heat. let it get screaming hot.
• rinse off the scallops and pat dry. remove the extra flap of muscle, if they have it. coat the scallops very lightly with the lemon herb oil, salt and pepper.
• place the scallops in the dry pan, starting with the biggest ones first. if you crowd the pan, the temperature will lower, so keep them spread apart. depending on the size, cook about 3 minutes on the first side (until you see a dark crust forming and they feel pretty firm when pressed in the middle). flip and cook another 3 minutes on the reverse side.