Seared Sea Scallops atop hummus with Corn Relish
Overview
The three step composition of this recipe brings a variety of flavors, colors and textures to the table. Smooth hummus, crunchy corn and veggies, luscious and velvety scallops with an undercutting of lemony sunshine make this dish one of the best of the year.
Ingredients
Humus
- ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 can (15oz) chickpeas
- 1 small chopped garlic clove
- 4 tomato halves from a jar of Bella Sun Luci Sun dried Tomato Halves with Herbs and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Corn Relish
- 1 ear of fresh sweet corn (about ¾ cup when cooked)
- ¼ cup diced orange bell pepper
- ¼ cup diced celery
- 1 tbsp finely chopped green onion
- 3 tbsp chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Scallops
- 1½ lbs., approximately, jumbo sea scallops
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tsp ghee / clarified butter
- 2 tsp olive oil
Directions
- To make the humus, in a small food processor or blender process the sesame seeds until they look crumbly.
- Puree in the oil from the sun dried tomatoes and the lemon juice until it is smooth.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, but reserve 2 -3 tablespoons of the liquid.
- Add the chickpeas to the sesame seeds and continue to puree stirring from the bottom as needed until it is smooth.
- Add the sun dried tomatoes and using the pulse function continue to blend until the tomatoes are chopped. The humus will be thick so add the reserved liquid from the chickpeas as needed until it reaches your desired consistency.
- If desired to save time, the sun dried tomatoes can be added to purchased prepared humus.
- To make the relish, microwave the ear of corn with it's husk in place for 2 minutes.
- When cooled enough to handle, remove the husk and cut the kernels from the cob.
- Mix the corn with the remaining ingredients.
- To sear the scallops, place them on paper towels and pat them until they are completely dry.
- Season the scallops with salt and pepper.
- In a large 12”-14” heavy skillet heat over high the ghee and the olive oil until very hot but not quite smoking.
- Sear the scallops for 1 ½ minutes per side. Do not overcrowd the pan. If the scallops are touching they will steam and not form a lovely golden crust.
- To serve, place a large dollop of the humus under each scallop and then spoon the corn relish over them.
- Garnish with lemon and parsley if desired.
This recipe makes a great appetizer or entree.
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