Scallop Tacos with Tangy Corn Salsa
Scallop Tacos with Tangy Corn Salsa. Taking scallops to a new level of deliciousness in the form of summery tacos. The scallops are perfectly seared in butter. Topped with a tangy, citrusy lemon corn and tomato salsa. Paired with avocados and a lemon crema. and drizzled with an herby basil sauce. The perfectly unique but delicious seafood taco for taco tuez in may !!
Taco tuesday and we are totally changing it up. We have never tried a scallop taco before, but here you have it. The scallops we’ve been getting have been so fresh, so we wanted to try something totally different and make some scallop tacos. We love a good seafood taco, especially in the summer. So we try to get super creative with them and these came out perfectly.
Like I said, the scallops are super fresh. They’re pan seared in butter until they’re perfectly crisp and golden on the outside but juicy on the inside. Then we paired them with a lemony corn and tomato salsa. It’s really good and unique because we typically do our corn salsas with lime juice. But the lemon gives them the perfect tangy change up we needed. Finally throw in some avocado, lemon Crema for dunking and dipping, and an herby basil sauce for drizzling.
There are so many flavors in these tacos and they have alllll the summertime ingredients. They aren’t super Mexican flavored, but they fit the taco tuesday theme. And I love how different they are.
It’s another warm one today and partially sunny. I am still hoping they change the weather for mdw this weekend because…well…its not looking great right now. But either way I am sure we will make the most of it. And you know there are going to be some great bbq weekend eats…rain or shine !!
Ingredients
For the Corn Salsa
3 ears corn; kernels removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow tomato; diced
1 large bunch chives; chopped
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
For the Basil Oil
1 large bunch basil
1/3 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
For the Lemon Crema
1 cup sour cream
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
For the Tacos
2 tablespoons clarified butter
1 pound sea scallops
salt and pepper
8 corn tortillas; toasted
1 avocado; sliced
fresh basil leaves for serving
Directions
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, add the corn. Drizzle with the olive oil. Transfer to a 425 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes until slightly charred. Remove from the oven and let cool. In a large bowl, add the corn, tomatoes, chives, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.
Make the basil oil. Add the basil, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Process until combined.
Make the lemon Crema. In a small bowl, add the sour cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
In a large skillet, heat the clarified butter until very hot. Sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper. Add the scallops to the skillet and sear for 3 - 4 minutes per side until browned and caramelized.
Assemble the tacos. Layer the tortillas with the scallops and avocado. Top with corn salsa. Drizzle with basil oil. Serve garnished with fresh basil leaves and alongside lemon Crema.