Scallops with Savory Polenta

Another battle in the war of the over stocked pantry/freezer.  I had plenty of extra scallops from the progressive dinner, veggies I had accumulated with the intentions of loading our meals with them or only used part of them for a recipe, and cornmeal.  I thawed the scallops and you MUST pat them dry.  Really dry!  Heat some butter and oil in a skillet over fairly high heat. Put the scallops in the pan and let them cook about 2 minutes a side.  I then removed the scallops,put a good splash of veggie broth and scraped the pan clean, added a bit more butter and threw in sliced bell pepper and some broccoli florets that had been boiled about 30 seconds.  These veggies were sauteed until they were crisp but tender.  Add a splash more of broth if they need to steam a bit.  Remove the veggies and boil down any liquid left in the pan.  Throw in a large pat of butter into the syrupy liquid and remove from heat and let the butter just melt.  It had a lovely caramelized broccoli flavor and we drizzled it over the scallops and polenta. We used the polenta right away.  If you want it to be soft and almost grits like in consistency, you MUST use it right out of the oven. It begins to set up right away, but it is also good in a cake



Savory Polenta
2 T  olive oil,plus extra for grilling or sauteing if not serving immediately
3/4 c  finely chopped red onion
2 ea garlic,finely minced
1 qt chicken stock or broth
1 c  coarse ground cornmeal
3 T  unsalted butter
1 1/2 t  kosher salt
1/4 t  freshly ground black pepper
 2    ounces Parmesan,grated
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large, oven-safe saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add
the red onion and salt and sweat until the onions begin to turn
translucent, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add
the garlic, and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure the garlic does
not burn.
Turn the heat up to high, add the chicken stock, bring to a boil.
Gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. Once you have
added all of the cornmeal, cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook
for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every
10 minutes to prevent lumps. Once the mixture is creamy, remove from
the oven and add the butter, salt, and pepper. Once they are
incorporated, gradually add the Parmesan.
Serve as is, or pour the polenta into 9 by 13-inch cake pan lined with
parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Once set, turn the polenta out onto a cutting board and cut into
squares,     rounds, or triangles. Brush each side with olive oil and
saute in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, or grill.