Sea Scallops with Corn & Avocado Salsa

Scallops with Corn & Avocado Salsa

Let’s jump right into summer with a plate full of colorful goodness. Sea Scallops with Corn & Avocado Salsa.

This recipe just screams for a trip to the farmer’s market to pick up the freshest produce you can find.

The basis for this recipe came from Williams Sonoma’s new cookbook Healthy Dish of the Day. I did a little adapting from grilling in the original recipe to sautéing not only to benefit the grill-less among us but also because tender scallops are very easily over cooked on the grill. 

If you’re not a fan of scallops, you can always substitute shrimp. Even if you’re not a seafood eater, this corn & avocado salsa could happily accompany grilled chicken or even stand on its own with a few blue corn chips.

Options, we’ve got them.

There is a bit of chopping but not much actual cooking so this shoots to the top of the Quick & Easy Recipe List!

Here’s what you need:

Scallops with Corn & Avocado Salsa Ingredients

Sea Scallops, Corn, Jalapeño, Shallot, Garlic, Avocado, Tomato, Limes, Cilantro, Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, Ground Cumin (not pictured), Olive Oil (not pictured), Salt & Pepper.

Click here for a Scallops with Corn & Avocado Salsa Shopping List

For 2 servings, the recipe called for 1 pound of scallops but usually I just take a look at the size of scallops available, decide what would be a good serving per person (8 scallops?), and buy the amount I need.

I prefer sea scallops that are between 1-2 inches across to those tiny little eraser-like bay scallops.

Take a look at your scallops and if you see that little extra whitish flap on the side, pull it off. That is the muscle that attached the scallop to its shell. It can get bizarrely rubbery when cooked so you want to remove it. Some stores do a really good job of cleaning their scallops before you buy them so you might not have to deal with that step.

IMG_0096

To give the scallops a nice smoky, zingy flavor, we will make a quick marinade.

Finely chop ¾ cup of fresh cilantro and scoot 1/4 of it to the side to reserve for the salsa.

IMG_0097

Squeeze the juice from 2-3 limes to equal 1/4 cup.

IMG_0098

Take one chipotle out of the can of adobo sauce, cut it open, and scrape out the seeds.

For me, one chipotle is plenty for this dish. Even if you like things spicy, I would add hot sauce later rather than overpowering the delicate flavor of the scallops with too many smoky chipotles.

Once the seeds are removed, finely chop the chipotle.

IMG_0100

Build your marinade in a medium bowl by combining ¼ cup of lime juice,  ½ cup of chopped cilantro, the chopped seeded chipotle, and ½ teaspoon ground cumin.

IMG_0101

Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and stir to combine.

IMG_0102

Add your scallops to the bowl and stir gently. For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the marinade to do its thing.

IMG_0105

Meanwhile, remove the kernels from 1 ear of corn.

IMG_0106

Place the corn kernels in a dry pan and roast over medium heat until toasty and slightly golden in color. This takes about 5-8 minutes. The corn has a tendency to stick a bit so be sure you stir it frequently while roasting.

IMG_0113

Finely chop 1 shallot. You can always substitute a bit of red onion if you don’t have a shallot on hand.

IMG_0107

Finely chop 1 tomato. I like to gently squeeze the seeds out of the tomato halves before chopping.

IMG_0108

Remove the seeds and white membranes from 1 jalapeño and finely chop. I opted for only using 1/2 of the jalapeño but if you like things spicy, go for it and put the whole pepper in.

IMG_0109

Place your chopped tomato, jalapeño, and shallots in a bowl. Add the reserved 1/4 cup of cilantro and 1 clove of finely chopped garlic.

Add 1½ Tablespoons of fresh lime juice.

IMG_0112

Once the corn has roasted, allow it to cool slightly then add it to the bowl.

Season the salsa with salt & pepper and set aside.

IMG_0114

Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the scallops from the marinade and place them in the hot pan.

IMG_0115

Cook the scallops quickly to a golden brown, only about 2-3 minutes per side.

IMG_0121

Remove the browned scallops from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining marinade to the pan, and quickly bring to a boil. Reduce the marinade to a syrup-like sauce.

IMG_0122

When you are ready to serve, remove the pit from a ripe avocado and use a small sharp knife cut the flesh into cubes.

Run a large spoon around the edge between the flesh and the peel of the avocado to remove your little cubes from the skin.

IMG_0120

Gently fold the avocado into the salsa

IMG_0124

To serve, place a large scoop of the Corn & Avocado Salsa in a bowl or plate. Top with the golden sautéed scallops and drizzle with the smoky pan sauce.

Scallops with Corn & Avocado Salsa

It’s nice to be able to jump right into healthy eating but with foods that are also readily available at the store.

Although I cooked this just for us, Sea Scallops with Corn & Avocado Salsa would be a perfect dinner for guests. You can make the salsa (minus the avocado) in advance and cook the scallops at the last minute. No being chained to the stove now that nice weather is here! You could also reduce the serving size and this would make a fabulous tapas, first course, or appetizer.

So fresh & SO good! Certainly a new favorite around here.

Here’s the recipe:

Sea Scallops with Corn & Avocado Salsa

Share This

Deliciousness

2 Responses

  1. This not only looks delicious, it is perfect as you said for a quick dinner.
    Will have to try this for me and the mister.
    Going to e this to my sister too.

    Linda

  2. Dang girl…this LOOKS AMAZING. I love all the ingredients…even the hot peppers if I can get someone else to chop them. Putting it on my ‘to-eat’ list!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More MMMeals

Related Posts

Cranberry Port Sauce

Hi Friends! How is it possible that Thanksgiving is in 3 days? What happened to October? So, we’re getting in right under the wire with

Hatch Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Hatch Chile Season has come and almost gone so I thought I’d better get back to Idiot’s Kitchen to evangelize about these awesome, seasonal peppers.

Remembering Cody

Dear Friends, I hope you will permit me a moment of remembrance for a dear friend to me and to Idiot’s Kitchen. My friend Cody