Thyme-Seared Scallops with Coconut Creamed Corn with Red Bell Peppers

By Joelene

Makes 4 servings, 2-3 scallops each (with 1/2 cup corn)

Ingredients

• For the corn:
• 2 teaspoons virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 3 scallions, white and green parts divided, thinly sliced
• 4 ears corn, husks removed
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon raw sugar, or to taste
• For the scallops:
• 1 pound diver scallops, rinsed and blotted dry (about 8-12)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt, to taste (optional)
• 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
• A few thyme sprigs

Preparation

Step 1

To make the corn: Heat a large skillet on medium-low heat and add oil. Add bell pepper and cook gently until tender, about 6 minutes, adding the white parts of scallions halfway through cooking. While the peppers cook, place a corn husk over a bowl and cut off the corn kernels, not cutting all the way to the root of the corn, since any leftover pulp you will get later. Using a soup spoon scrape the remaining pulp and juice from the cobs into the bowl. When the peppers are tender, add the corn and juice and cook until the liquid cooks down, 2-3 minutes. Add coconut milk, 1/4 cup water and sugar and simmer until corn is tender, 30 minutes. Stir in green parts of scallions at the end of cooking.

To make the scallops: Season the scallops with pepper and salt. Heat a large sauté pan on medium-high heat and add oil, tilting the pan to ensure even coverage. Add scallops and brown on one side, 4-5 minutes, tilting the pan occasionally to evenly distribute oil. Turn the scallops onto an area of the pan coated with oil and add thyme, browning 4 minutes. Cook scallops until they reach desired doneness, with medium rare being recommended.

Spoon the corn into wide shallow dishes and top with scallops.