Chilled Corn Soup with Seared Scallops and Crisp Onions

Another WINNER from Sunset mag., and their quote: "We've balanced sweet corn and rich cream here with earthy cumin and a splash of bright Champagne vinegar. You can make the soup a day ahead and chill. Also chill six small, wide bowls."
(serves 6)

Soup:
1/2 t. cumin seeds
1 T. salted Kerrygold* butter
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet* onion such as Walla Walla*
4 cups bicolored* corn kernels (from 4-5 cobs)
About 1/2 t. kosher salt
About 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
About 2 T. Champagne vinegar (this is pricey, so you can substitute white wine vinegar*)

Onions:
1/2 cup veg. oil
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 large sweet* onion, thinly sliced into half-moons

Scallops:
6 dry-packed sea* scallops (about 1" wide; about 6 oz. total)
1/4 t. each kosher salt and freshly* ground pepper
Black peppercorns in a grinder

To make the soup: Toast cumin seeds in a med.-wide pot over med.-high heat until slightly darker and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Lower heat to med. and add butter. When butter melts, stir in onion. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 mins. Add corn, 1/2 t. salt and 2 cups broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer until corn begins to soften and breakdown, about 15 mins. Working in batches, whirl corn mixture in a blender, covering lid with a towel and holding it down, until very smooth. Add cream. Chill until cold, about 2&1/2 hours, or overnight. Stir 2 T. vinegar into soup. If soup is too thick, add a little more (chilled) broth until it's as thin as you like. Taste, and season with more vinegar and salt if you like. To make the onions: Heat oil and ground cumin in a large frying pan over med. heat. Add onion slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 10-20 mins. Reduce heat if they start to brown unevenly. Lift onions from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 T. oil for scallops. To cook scallops: Lay scallops on a paper towel-lined plate and bring to room temp., about 15 mins. Season with S&P and let stand 5 mins. longer. While scallops rest, divide chilled soup among chilled bowls. Heat a large (not nonstick) frying pan over med.-high heat. When hot, swirl in reserved onion-cumin oil, then arrange scallops in a single layer in pan with ample space between them . Cook scallops without moving them until golden and crusty on the bottom, about 2 mins.; then turn them and cook for 1 min. Remove from heat and let scallops sit in pan for 1 min. Set a scallop in each bowl of chilled soup. Top with a small tangle of fried onions strings, and coarsely grind pepper over all.

Editor's note: Dry-packed scallops are fee of brine and preservatives and brown better when you cook them.

"This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!!"

Love,

MM