cornmeal crusted scallops

When I was putting together our grocery order last weekend, I was incredibly pleased to see that local dayboat scallops are in season again. We ate them often last spring and summer, usually either grilled or seared, and they are delicious. For our meal last night, I decided to try something a little different with the scallops.

This salad was inspired by the Fritto Misto we had at Diner recently. I dipped half a pound of scallops and some Meyer lemon slices in a bit of beaten egg, let the excess drip off, and gave them a light coating of fine cornmeal seasoned with salt and pepper. I fried them in a bit of olive oil until they were golden, drained them on paper towels, and served them on top of a combination of watercress, flat-leaf parsley and mixed microgreens tossed with a lemon vinaigrette.

The meal could not have been simpler - it came together in just minutes, and the combination of the lemons with the assertive greens and crisp-on-the-outside, buttery-on-the-inside scallops was fabulous. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those go-to meals in the warmer months when we want something fast and light that won’t heat up the kitchen, but will still satisfy.

Wine Pairing: We drank Lieb Family Cellars Reserve Chardonnay, which had delicious butter and citrus notes, as well as some crisp apple-y flavors that complemented the dish beautifully. We liked this just as well with our food as we did when we sipped it solo.