Charred Corn and Scallop Salad with Lime Dressing

Instructions

Prepare the lime dressing

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil and lime juice together and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of sugar, if desired.

Cook the corn

Preheat the grill to high.

Bring a wide saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the corn cobs and boil for 5 minutes, remove with tongs and pat dry with paper towel.

Place the corn cobs on a rimmed baking sheet and smear with a little of the butter. Grill, turning frequently, until they're charred on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Let rest until they're cool enough to handle.

Finish the salad

Stand each corn cob upright and use a knife to slide down the cob and cut the kernels off. Add the corn kernels to the bowl with the dressing.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 'nduja or chorizo and garlic to the skillet, and if using chorizo, add a tiny splash of olive oil.

Fry until the 'nduja turns a slightly darker red, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir into the bowl of dressing and corn along with the tomatoes.

Pull the herb leaves from the stems, roughly chop most of them and add to the bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Toss, then transfer the salad to a serving platter.

Wipe out the skillet, then melt the remaining butter over high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Once the skillet is hot and the butter is foaming, add the scallops, leaving space between them to avoid steaming and cook for 2 minutes, turn them over and sear until lightly browned and opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Transfer the scallops to the platter, snuggling them into the salad.

Top with the remaining herbs and crunchy corn nuts. Finish with a crack of black pepper. Slice the lime into wedges and serve on the side.

Entree