Have you ever accidentally created a meal so good you can’t wait to eat it again right after you finish eating it the first time? Well, that’s exactly what happened with this meal!
I was chatting with my friend about some of my recipes and I was telling her about the items I pick up at Trader Joe’s. During the conversation, she asked what I did with the corn salsa I buy from the Joe and if I “ate it with chicken”. I responded with ‘I eat it with tortilla chips but you are brilliant!”
You see, this corn salsa is really really good, and honestly, I’m not a fan of most store-bought salsa. This one however passes the taste test. I am a huge fan of scallops and creamed corn, they are a match made in food heaven! If you’re not a fan of scallops swap them out for shrimp or another white fish, creamed corn is a great complement to seafood.
I am so happy I had that conversation with my friend MaryAnne and her comment gave me this idea! This is some of the best creamed corn I’ve ever had!
Scallops and Creamed Corn Salsa
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 20 min
- Yield: 2 adult servings 1x
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 jar Corn and Chile Salsa from Trader Joe’s
- 1 can of corn – drained (or a bag of frozen)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
- 10 jumbo scallops
- olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium heat add the corn salsa, the can of corn and the cream. Bring to a simmer and stir. Cook until everything is warmed through.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the corn. I like it a little chunky so I leave some whole pieces but feel free to puree it smooth. You may need a little more milk if it gets too thick.
- Note: if you do not have an immersion blender you can use a food processor or a traditional blender. The immersion blender is less to clean up so it’s my go-to.
- Place pot back on the stovetop to keep warm while you make the scallops.
- Dry the scallops with paper towels and leave in the paper towels until you are ready to sear. In a skillet heat a drizzle of olive oil over high heat. (not even enough to cover the entire bottom, you don’t want the scallops swimming in oil) Once hot salt and pepper your scallops and place in the hot oil. Salt and pepper the other side. Cook for 2 minutes and add a pat of butter and cook one more minute. Flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes then add another pat of butter.
- Note: do overcrowd your skillet (as I did) you will lower the temp and your scallops will not get crispy. They will still taste good but won’t have the crispy edges.
- Plate by scooping the creamed corn into a shallow bowl and top with 5 scallops each. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Suggestion: The next time I make this (probably next week, lol) I’m going to add a fresh element like some pickled onions or some microgreens (as my friend Rania suggested when we were discussing this invention I discovered – lol). The recipe is delicious as is but if you’re looking to kick it up a notch, add a little something fresh to the top!
Keywords: Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Creamed Corn
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