Seared Scallops with Corn Cream and Maque Choux
I always envied folks who grew up in corn country and got to taste those gold and silver ears cooked fresh from the field, just exploding with sweetness. I had a friend whose mother used to say, “Go run and get the corn, and if you drop any on the way back, don’t stop to pick it up!” I love the urgency of it. So, when we get a case of really sweet corn at the restaurant, I like to use it two ways: I make this sweet Corn Cream, which goes beautifully with big, juicy sea scallops, and I serve it with the maque choux, so you also get the crisp crunch from the corn kernels in addition to the creamy sauce. If corn isn’t in season and you’re just dying to make this, use frozen sweet corn.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Corn Cream
Maque Choux
To Assemble
Preparation
Corn Cream
Step 1
Cut the kernels off the cobs with a serrated knife, being careful not to cut too close. Place the corn with the butter, 1 cup of water, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Pour into a blender jar and pour the cream into the empty pot. Bring the cream to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer while you blend the corn mixture to a smooth puree. Strain the corn puree through a fine sieve into the saucepan with the cream, and whisk. Warm the sauce gently and taste for seasoning. Adjust to desired thickness by reducing it a little or thinning with a little more cream or water. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Maque Choux
Step 2
Cut the kernels from the cob, being careful not to cut too close. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onion, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the corn and stir, cooking 4–5 more minutes, then add the tomato. Cook, stirring, until tomatoes are warm, then stir in the scallions. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
To Assemble
Step 3
Place a large skillet over high heat.
Step 4
Pat scallops dry with a paper towel, then season with salt and pepper.
Step 5
Pour the olive oil into the skillet and when very hot (but not quite smoking), add the scallops, being careful not to crowd them. Cook at high heat until the first side is a deep golden brown, 2–3 minutes, then turn the scallops and cook on the other side for about 2 more minutes. Scallops should be firm but not hard. Drain on paper towels. Deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons water, scraping up the brown bits. To serve, pool some of the Corn Cream onto each plate, then pile a little Maque Choux in the center of each plate. Place 3–4 scallops around the Maque Choux and drizzle with pan juices. Serve immediately.
Step 6
When pureeing a mixture that contains more solids than liquid, add the solids first, then pulse the blade to break them down, then add liquid. Use caution when blending a hot sauce, and never fill the blender more than a third full. Otherwise, the heat will force the top off the machine.
Maque Choux
Step 7
Choux is French for “cabbage,” but the translation is not literal—there is no cabbage in this dish. Since corn was not a staple of the Acadians’ diet, it’s believed that the Indians taught the French settlers of Louisiana to make maque choux. This dish is essentially smothered corn or a Cajun version of Yankee succotash made with tomatoes, onions, and green pepper.
