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Scallops & Goat Cheese Polenta

You are in for a real treat between the savory seared scallops, creamy goat cheese, sultry stewed tomatoes, and fresh and bright peaches and basil! Take your time setting up your cooking station, and the cooking process itself will be smooth as can be!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Seafood
Keyword Gluten-Free, Polenta, Scallops, Tomatoes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Scallops

  • 8-10 sea scallops
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Polenta

  • 1 cup polenta yellow or white are both great
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 oz goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black or white pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Stewed Tomatoes

  • 2 quarts grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 4 leaves fresh basil chopped
  • 1 tbs honey
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika plus more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Roasted Corn

  • 1 ear of corn
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Garnishes

  • 1 peach sliced thin
  • 1 cup of arugula
  • 8-10 or so leaves of fresh basil
  • Roasted seeds I used pumpkin seeds

Instructions

  1. Prep scallops by dabbing off any water with paper towel, and seasoning them with a little salt and pepper. Place them in the fridge on a paper towel until you are ready to cook them.
  2. Slice cherry tomatoes in half to prep and leave grape tomatoes whole. Cook tomatoes in a medium skillet in olive oil over a medium high heat for 5 minutes, and add in other ingredients. Reduce over a medium high heat for 10 minutes, then turn flame down to a low heat and cook covered for another 15 minutes. Add water as needed to make sure you have some broth.
  3. Shuck your corn and coat it with olive oil, salt and pepper. Broil on high, turning occasionally, until some kernels are brown, for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Add polenta to a small pot with milk, 2 cups of water, and spices, and bring to a boil over a medium high heat, whisking frequently. Reduce heat and cover. Allow polenta to simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. They will thicken, but make sure that the consistency still looks creamy, not rubbery.
  5. While your polenta and tomatoes are cooking, prep a cast iron skillet for the scallops by adding 2 tbs of olive oil and placing the skillet over a medium flame until it begins to smoke very slightly.
  6. Remove your corn from the cob with a sharp knife, and set aside.
  7. Place scallops in your cast iron skillet, and sear on the first side for 1-2 minutes. Flip them and sear the other sides for 1-2 minutes as well, then remove the skillet from the flame.
  8. While the scallops are searing, stir the parmesan and goat cheeses into your polenta. Reserve a little bit of goat cheese to garnish the dish.
  9. To assemble, put polenta in a bowl, and top with stewed tomatoes and broth. Arrange the scallops, corn,and peaches as you see fit, and garnish with arugula, basil, seeds, and any tomato broth that you have left. Enjoy!

Modifications

Scallops not on sale? You can make this recipe with shrimp! Just cook shrimp with some salt, pepper, chili powder, and a dash of lemon juice or white balsamic vinegar in olive oil over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes.
Keeping it vegetarian? Substitute roasted sweet potatoes for the scallops! Season them with smoked paprika, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.