Scallops on a bed of creamed corn

For the creamed corn

• 2 cups (500 ml) fresh or frozen corn kernels, fresh shelled cobs set aside to make broth
• 1 cup (250 ml) water
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ cup (125 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg (optional)

For the scallops

• ½ cup (125 ml) white wine or water
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 6 large scallops

For the sauce

• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 1 pinch hot pepper flakes
• ½ cup (125 ml) chopped flat-leaf parsley

Make the creamed corn:

• In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring 1 cup (250 ml) water to a boil. Add corn kernels and bay leaves, and cook for 5 min.
• Remove bay leaves from saucepan and discard, transferring corn kernels and water to a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Pour creamed corn back into the saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring, for 3 min.
• Add Parmesan cheese, and nutmeg if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• If mixture is too thin, keep cooking until it reaches the desired consistency. Set aside.

Cook the scallops:

• In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil the wine (or water), shallot, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Reduce heat to low. Add scallops, cover and simmer for 5 min.
• Remove scallops from saucepan and keep warm. Reserve cooking liquid in the saucepan.

Make the sauce:

• Bring the scallops’ cooking liquid to a boil over high heat, and reduce until almost dry, about 8 min.
• Stir in diced tomato, hot pepper flakes and parsley. Season to taste with salt.

To serve:

• Divide creamed corn between two shallow soup bowls. Top centre of each portion with sauce, then top sauce with the scallops.

NOTE:

• To make polenta (instead of creamed corn) from fresh corn, discard the kernels’ cooking water before putting in the blender.
• To make a delicious corn soup, cook corn in 2 cups (500 ml) water, then follow the rest of the recipe.

Corn broth

Making corn broth from shelled corn cobs is a nice way to make the most of local fare and to limit food waste: simply boil the cobs for about 20 min in water flavoured with bay leaves, onions, garlic, large pieces of carrot and celery, and salt and pepper to taste. In fact, you can add any vegetable you have on hand and get a delicious vegetable broth.