Seared Scallops with Summer Veggie and Bacon Hash

Are you predictable when it comes to your restaurant ordering behaviors? No matter how much I like to think I order unique, interesting dishes, it seems my husband has me pegged. He almost always knows, sometimes before I do, what I will choose when he reads through the options. When scallops are on the menu, it’s a no-brainer and yes, I’m totally predictable. There is not much better than a plate of perfectly cooked scallops – they are flavorful and tender, made even better with a light butter sauce.

Recently I enjoyed a meal at one of our favorite local places which featured seared scallops atop a bed of seasonal veggies and bacon. It was amazing. I immediately knew I wanted to try recreating the meal at home. The wonderful thing about this is how well it adapts to whatever produce is available. The restaurant version included fresh butter beans which were an amazing addition, but I couldn’t find any so I left them out. I think a few quartered cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden would also go nicely here. This is a perfect way to make use of end of summer veggies before we’re left with slim pickings a few weeks from now.

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Yield about 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cob corn, husk
4 oz. bacon, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, diced
1 small-medium zucchini, diced
1/3 cup minced garlic scapes
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1½ lbs. fresh sea scallops
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

01
Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Place the corn cob in the pan to sear, turning occasionally until all sides are seared. Remove from the pan and set aside. Once cool enough to handle, slice the kernels off of the cob.
02
Add the bacon to the pan and cook just until crispy. Once the bacon is cooked, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Drain off all but 2 teaspoons of the bacon grease. Add the garlic scapes, squash and zucchini to the pan and sauté just until crisp tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the corn, bacon, 2 tablespoons of the butter and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
03
Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Once the milk solids have separated from the butter, carefully skim the solids from the top and discard. Meanwhile, pat the scallops dry on both sides with paper towels. Season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper.
04
Heat a second large skillet over medium-high for 2 minutes. Add about 2 tablespoons of the the clarified butter and swirl to coat the pan. Add the scallops to the pan in a single layer and let cook without flipping or stirring for 2 minutes. Flip the scallops over and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, just until cooked through. Remove from the heat. Divide the veggie mixture between plates and top with the seared scallops. Serve immediately.