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A white oval platter half-filled with charred corn and scallop salad.
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4.67 / 3 votes

Charred Corn and Scallop Salad with Lime Dressing

The combination of grilled corn, seared scallops, tomatoes, sausage, herbs, and a tangy lime dressing is a revelation. Just don't forget the corn nut topping.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 432

Ingredients

For the lime dressing

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice, from 1 or 2 limes
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch granulated sugar, optional

For the salad

  • 4 ears fresh corn , shucked and silk removed
  • 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 3/4 oz ’Nduja or sliced chorizo sausage
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • olive oil, if using chorizo
  • 1 pound 2 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 small bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
  • 1 small bunch fresh cilantro
  • 1 pound 2 ounces raw sea scallops, patted dry
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup corn nuts, for topping
  • 1 lime, for serving
US - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the lime dressing

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil and lime juice together and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of sugar, if desired.

Cook the corn

  • Preheat the grill to high.
  • Bring a wide saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the corn cobs and boil for 5 minutes, remove with tongs and pat dry with paper towel.
  • Place the corn cobs on a rimmed baking sheet and smear with a little of the butter. Grill, turning frequently, until they’re charred on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Let rest until they’re cool enough to handle.

Finish the salad

  • Stand each corn cob upright and use a knife to slide down the cob and cut the kernels off. Add the corn kernels to the bowl with the dressing.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ’nduja or chorizo and garlic to the skillet, and if using chorizo, add a tiny splash of olive oil.
  • Fry until the ’nduja turns a slightly darker red, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir into the bowl of dressing and corn along with the tomatoes.
  • Pull the herb leaves from the stems, roughly chop most of them and add to the bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Toss, then transfer the salad to a serving platter.
  • Wipe out the skillet, then melt the remaining butter over high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Once the skillet is hot and the butter is foaming, add the scallops, leaving space between them to avoid steaming and cook for 2 minutes, turn them over and sear until lightly browned and opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes more.
  • Transfer the scallops to the platter, snuggling them into the salad.
  • Top with the remaining herbs and crunchy corn nuts. Finish with a crack of black pepper. Slice the lime into wedges and serve on the side.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 834mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g