Scallops in Cilantro Broth with Sweet Corn and Bok Choy
Scallops in Cilantro Broth with Sweet Corn and Bok Choy
Ingredient List:
4 scallops per person (U8-U10, see note below)
1 baby bok choy per person
1 cob corn, or 1 can corn
1 scallop
3 limes
2 poblano chiles
2 heads cilantro
2-3 cups stock (vegetable or fish)
1 sm yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
Cumin, Kosher Salt, Olive Oil
Step 1: Sweet Corn
If corn on the cob, broil or grill char 1 lightly oiled ear of corn, turning regularly until bright yellow. Cut kernels off cob, and add to a bowl. If canned, add 8 oz to bowl. Finely dice and add one shallot, a pinch of salt, and juice of one lime. Drizzle olive oil to coat and toss. Allow to marinade while dish is prepped, stirring occasionally.
Step 2: Prep the broth
On a grill, or over a direct flame, char all sides of the poblano peppers (yes, you want the skin black), then place them inside a plastic bag for 2-3 minutes to steam. Using a paper towel, scrape all the charred skin off the poblanos, and roughly chop.
In a sauté pan, sauté one diced small yellow onion until translucent, and add 2 minced cloves of garlic until fragrant. Add 1/2 tbsp coriander and toast for 30 seconds, before deglazing with 1/2 cup of stock.
Into the blender, add 2 heads of cilantro, your chopped poblanos, and the contents of the sauté pan, with another 2 cups of stock, and blend until smooth.
Step 3: Sear Scallops, Sauté Bok Choy
Lightly season 4 U8-U10 scallops per person, room temperature, on both sides with salt and pepper. Wash and slice in half 1 baby bok choy per person.
In a hot pan with a bit of olive oil, place the bok choy face down, searing until a golden crust forms on the face (2-3 minutes), then flip once, and allow to cook through (another 1-2 minutes).
In a second hot pan with oil, hard sear each scallop for 2 minutes per side, flipping once, until a golden brown crust forms on the outside.
Step 4: Finish the broth
Now that the broth has had time to sit, brighten it up with lime juice to taste - I usually end up adding about 2 limes worth of juice, and a bit of salt (1 tbsp, or to taste). If you have a powerful blender like a Vitamix, no straining is necessary. If you have a less intense blender, you may want to strain the largest particles out of the pan. In either case, warm the broth if it has cooled too much.
Step 5: Plate
Into the base of a deep plate, spoon a ladleful of broth. Cross the bok choy across the plate creating room for the scallops to sit. Dress each scallop with a spoonful of corn salsa.
Potential Additions: A side of basmati rice would both fill out the dish, and be a lovely vessel for poblano broth.
Scallop Note: You will often see scallops listed in arbitrary sizes (Large, Extra Large!, what does this even mean?) and confusing numbers, like U8 and U10. This refers to how many scallops make up a pound - so U8 scallops means “under 8 scallops per pound” and these are often aka Extra Large.
