Remove and discard any exterior muscle from the scallops. Place scallops on a plate lined with paper towel. Take another paper towel and blot the tops of the scallops dry. Cover with dry paper towel and hold in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Place stock in medium sauce pan over medium heat. Break the reserved corn cobs in two, if necessary, and add as many to the pan as will fit and still be submerged in the stock. Add thyme and mushroom stems. Bring to a boil then simmer briskly for 20-25 minutes or until the stock is reduced to 1/3 it’s volume. Strain liquid through a fine sieve and reserve.

Place large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 T of butter. When butter is melted add mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Saute mushrooms until softened and releasing moisture. The mushrooms may stick to the pan a bit, or the “glaze” on the bottom of the pan may begin to brown. If this happens, add a little of the corn broth to deglaze the pan and continue to saute the mushrooms until all the liquid evaporates. Add the raw corn, sliced sage and the rest of the broth, and stir to combine and coat the corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, stirring occassionally until the liquid is almost completely reduced. The mixture should remain moist, but there should not be a puddle of broth remaining. Remove from heat and add 1 T of butter and gently stir corn/mushroom mixture until butter is melted and incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and hold.

Place a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Remove the scallops from the fridge and season the top side liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper. When the pan is hot (about 3 minutes), add vegetable oil. When the oil is shimmering, place the scallops, seasoned side down, on to the hot pan. Depending on the size of the pan, and the number of scallops you are making, you may want to cook them in two batches. When searing, it is important not to crowd the pan, because too many scallops, too close together, will cause a build up of moisture that will result in the scallops “steaming” in their own juices instead of being able to make the dry contract with the hot pan and oil that is needed for caramelization. There should be a good inch to inch and a half between scallops. Once placed in the pan, do not move them or peak at the cooking surface for a good solid two minutes or until the sides of the scallop begin to show caramelization and the scallops easily release from the pan when you try to turn them (use a metal spatula, an offset spatual or a fish spatula to do this, so you can slide under the scallop without damaging it. It is not advisable to use tongs to turn them.)  You can reduce heat at this point, season the surface of the scallop that is facing up, then flip them. Cook briefly on this side, around a minute, then remove the scallops, one by one, to a waiting dish. Add a little more oil to the pan, crank the heat up. When the oil is shimmering, then flash fry the remaining sage leaves (10 seconds or so), then remove them from the oil and place them on a piece of paper towel.

Divide the corn/mushroom mixture between two warm serving plates. Divide the scallops between each dish, placing them over the corn mixture. Garnish with the fried sage. Serve.