Scallops with Peppers and Corn

Prep / Total time :45 minutes          Serves  6

Serve with couscous, pasta, or rice. Prep and Cook Time: about 30 minutes.

3              ears corn (about 2 1/2 lb. total), husked, silks removed 1-1/4        pounds sea scallops 
                         **Salt and pepper**
2              tablespoons butter 
2              tablespoons olive oil
2              red bell peppers (12 oz. total), rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped 
1 or 2       cloves garlic, peeled and minced 
1/4            teaspoon ground cumin
1/3            cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3            cup chopped fresh cilantro 
  1.           Holding each ear of corn upright in a deep bowl, cut kernels from cobs. Rinse scallops and pat dry; sprinkle lightly all over with salt and pepper.
2.           Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in each of two 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pans over high heat. Add corn, bell peppers, garlic, and cumin to one pan; add scallops to the other. Cook, stirring both pans often, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, and scallops are browned on the outside and barely opaque in the center (cut to test), about 5 minutes.
3.          Just before serving, stir basil into the vegetable mixture and cilantro into the scallops. Add salt and pepper to taste to both. Mound vegetables in a wide, shallow bowl; top with scallops (and any pan juices).