Scallops truly are the fruit of the sea. These little mollusks are not only succulent but slightly sweet. They’re also game players, ready to hop into any sauce or go naked with a slightly caramelized edge. Besides being a universal protein, scallops are also a healthy choice. Three ounces of these aesthetic shellfish will only cost you 95 calories, .7 grams of fat, and an astonishing 17 grams of protein! That’s sort of a grand slam for the healthy eater.

So, now that we’ve established scallops are a dieter’s dream, I’m going to smother them in pancetta, cream, and cheese. Hey, better than on a ribeye- right?

I did do a microgreen salad as the side dish. Now, if I had been cooking this recipe in the winter, I definitely would have swapped that salad for a hearty, creamy risotto. But, I didn’t prepare this recipe underneath a heavy turtleneck sweater. I was wearing a tank top. So, while the base for this recipe is pancetta and cream, I also made a nice little salad to make it light and perfect for a warm evening or sunny luncheon.

Risotto or salad, you’re going to love this recipe. Pair it with our Wine Wednesday bottle of Gavi for a lovely and satisfying summer dinner.

Seared Scallop Recipe With Creamy Pancetta And Corn Sauce

Ingredients

5 large fresh scallops
1 ear of fresh corn
1/2 cup diced pancetta
3 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup shaved parmesan
few sprigs of thyme
1/2 cup dry vermouth (give or take)
1 ripe avocado
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
salt & pepper

Note – I had a lot of extra “sauce.” So, feel free to cook more scallops. Just make sure they don’t touch in the pan.

Instructions

Prepare scallops by adding thyme, salt, and pepper. Set aside, so they come to room temperature.
Shave kernels off a fresh ear of corn.
Saute pancetta and corn in a hot frying pan. There’s no need for any oil; all of that bacon fat will eventually melt, coating each tender little kernel. When things start to stick to the pan, use a little bit of the vermouth to deglaze. Continue until everything is nice and brown. Set aside in a bowl and cover. Don’t clean the pan! We’ll want that goodness for the scallops and eventual sauce.
Melt butter in the same pan and add scallops. If you’re using beautiful, big, fat scallops sear for about 3 minutes on each side.
When they are golden brown, press a fork down, if you feel resistance and they aren’t mushy, take them off the stove and cover.
Time for the pancetta and corn to go back in the “Haute” seat. Put 3/4 back into the pan (saving the 1/4 for the vinegrette), add the rest of the vermouth, cream, and parmesan.
Stir continually just above medium heat.
In a separate bowl, add olive oil and white wine vinegar to remaining pancetta and corn to make a killer vinaigrette!
Chop an avocado.
Toss micro greens with the vinaigrette.
Scoop the lovely creamy pancetta and corn sauce onto the plate and top with scallops.
Place avocado slices all around the dish.
Pour yourself a nice glass of Gavi wine and enjoy the summer feels and taste!