Seared Scallops on Creamy Polenta

Hello World!  Today is my first day out of bed since Valentine's Day.  After four days (six according to my  husband) of laying in bed and sampling a variety of store-bought and canned soups in between fever and chills, I am up.  And I have to pay.  It is my turn.  But my energy level is still quite low.  Doing laundry left me with not enough to get to the store.  Good thing I have milk, cornmeal, salt and pepper.  Good thing there's always scallops and shrimp in my freezer.  

An hour before dinner I will put 6 scallops in a zip-lock bag (they're huge).  I will fill the sink with cold water and sink the bag of scallops in it.  I will need to weight it down with a pan or something.  Half an hour later, I will have thawed scallops, the same as what I would buy at Whole Foods.  In fact, that's how I got mine.  I just asked the fish monger to give me a whole bag of whatever it is they're defrosting and selling us, frozen.

6 large scallops

1/2 lemon

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon canola oil

2 cups low-fat milk

1/2 cup corn meal

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads (optional)

Prepare the scallops.  Remove the little piece stuck to the side of each one and discard.  Place in a bowl and sprinkle with fresh lemon juice, generous amount of sea salt and a couple turns of the pepper grinder.  Toss to coat and let rest at room temperature while you make the polenta.

Heat the milk gently in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.  You may add saffron, turn the heat off, cover and allow to steep 5 - 10 minutes.  Then remove the saffron threads (fish them out with a strainer), turn the heat on and proceed.  Or skip the saffron.  When bubbles form around the milk, whisk in the cornmeal in a thin stream.  Cook, mixing with a spoon for 15 - 20 minutes until the cornmeal is soft and the mixture is as thick as batter.  If the mixture thickens too much, just add more milk.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  

For those not interested in saffron, you may add cheese (before seasoning).  Gorgonzola, fontina,  cheddar, parmesan, whatever you like.  I prefer saffron to cheese personally.

Set the polenta aside, covered, while you sear the scallops.  Heat a skillet over medium high heat for 3 minutes.  Swirl in the oil to cover the bottom, and then add the scallops in a single layer.  They will stick to the pan!  Allow them to cook undisturbed for 1-2 minutes until they caramelize and release the pan.  Turn over and cook the other side.

Spoon the creamy polenta into bowls and "float" the scallops on top.  You may drizzle with balsamic glaze (you may buy this in a store), lemon juice, or basil oil.  You may garnish with fresh minced parsley or diced red peppers.  I personally prefer a small drizzle of balsamic reduction (it brings out the caramelization flavor and sweetness in the scallops and it requires no preparation).