High Summer Scallops with Sweet Corn and Couscous
A quick and luscious recipe that even the kids like. My finicky, always-suspicious son said "this is really good, just don't tell me what's in it". Use only the freshest scallops, which should smell sweet, not fishy, when raw.
Yield 4 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh sea scallops, muscle removed, if necessary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3 slices lean bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil (approximate)
5 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh corn (about 4 ears), or frozen (when using frozen corn, white corn is preferable)
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes, or roughly chopped fresh tomatoes
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 cups prepared couscous
| 1 | Place scallops on plate and season tops with a bit of salt (careful - some bacons will bring out salt flavors - you can always add more later), lots of freshly ground pepper and the garlic powder. |
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| 2 | In large skillet (do not use nonstick for best results) over medium heat, fry bacon until just crisp. Remove from pan and let drain on paper towels. Pour off fat from pan. |
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| 3 | Add oil to skillet, adjusting quantity so that you have a thin layer of fat that covers bottom of pan. Adjust heat to medium high and when hot, add scallops, seasoned side down. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Turn when bottoms are golden, after 1 to 2 minutes. Sear until golden on other side, another 1 to 2 minutes. (Cook in batches if all scallops do not fit in pan.) Remove to plate. |
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| 4 | Add scallions to pan, reserving 2 tablespoons of green parts for garnish. Sauté for 1 minute, then add corn, tomatoes and tarragon. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add wine and scrape up any bits that have accumulated on bottom of pan. |
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| 5 | Add scallops back to pan to reheat. Adjust seasoning. |
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| 6 | While scallops are reheating, crumble bacon. |
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| 7 | Mound couscous on serving platter. Arrange scallop mixture around or on top of couscous. |
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| 8 | Sprinkle scallop mixture with reserved scallions and crumbled bacon. |
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