Scallops over Tomato Corn Ragu with Bacon
To me, this is a perfect summer meal! I love to serve this family style with cold white wine, a green salad and some bread to soak up all the good flavors. It’s quick to come together and couldn’t be more flavorful!
Serves 4
4 slices of thick-cut bacon, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 ears of corn, kernels removed from the cob
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground pepper
12 scallops (about 1 pound)
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Hot sauce (Frank’s or Tabasco)
Place bacon in a cold pan and fry on the stove top over medium heat until crisp and fat has rendered, about 7 minutes. Spoon bacon onto a paper towel to absorb grease. Dispose of all but one tablespoon of the bacon grease.
Put skillet back over medium heat and add onion, sautéing about five minutes until translucent. Add garlic, tomatoes and corn and sauté another two minutes. Add parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, some fresh ground pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce. Taste, and season as needed.
Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add two tablespoons of butter to a cold, large skillet. Place over medium high heat. Once melted, add a few dashes of hot sauce. Then add scallops to skillet and sear for three minutes on one side. Flip scallops and cook an additional three minutes (cooking time may vary slightly based on the size of the scallops). While the scallops are cooking on the second side, toss in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, cut into small cubes, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Using a small spoon baste the scallops with the butter-lemon juice mixture by spooning the liquid up and drizzling it over the top of the scallops.
We like to serve this by placing the corn tomato mixture on a large platter, sprinkling with the bacon and topping with the scallops. Spoon the remaining sauce onto the top of the scallops, sprinkle with some more chopped parsley and enjoy!
