Grilled Scallops with Elote Mexican Corn Salad

Elote is a great Mexican street food. It can be simply defined as roasted corn on the cob. But that basic definition leaves out all the wonderful condiments that you can (and perhaps should when given the chance) dump on it. When I go to my local Latino grocery store, I am always tempted to walk out with one of the styrofoam cups filled with charred corn cut off the cob, hot chile sauce, lemon pepper and mayonnaise that they serve from sidewalk carts.. Yum.


This recipe takes the best of those flavors and turns them into a delicious bed for plump sweet grilled scallops.By itself, it's a perfect summer supper. (And the leftover corn salad is a great cold lunch the next day.)


Grilled Scallops with Elote Mexican Corn Salad
From Food and Wine.
Makes four servings.


1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon minced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
8 small ears of corn, husked
Vegetable oil, for brushing
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon pure ancho chile powder
4 ounces cotija or ricotta salata cheese, crumbled (1 1/4 cups)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Hot sauce
12 large sea scallops
Lime wedges, for serving

Light a grill. In a large bowl, toss the garlic and onion with the lime juice and let stand for 10 minutes.

Brush the corn with oil and grill over moderate heat until charred and just tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a work surface and cut the kernels off the cobs.

Whisk the mayonnaise and chile powder into the garlic, onion and lime juice. Add the cheese and corn to the bowl and toss. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce.

Brush the scallops with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat until nicely browned and barely cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Spoon the corn salad onto 4 plates and top with the scallops. Serve with lime wedges.


Food/Wine Pairing: You can go a couple ways with this one. A zesty Sauvignon Blanc (maybe Geyser Peak) will add an additional blast of acidity...an extra squeeze of lime if you will. The other way (and my choice) is an oaky Chardonnay like Sebastiani. Chardonnay is always a good pairing with corn and the char on the corn goes well with the "char" in the more heavily-oaked wine.