PAN-BROWNED SCALLOPS ON A BED OF BACON AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound small Brussels sprouts, rinsed, trimmed, and halved
- 3 slices good-quality bacon, fine chopped
- Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, fine chopped
- 2 tight-packed tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, plus 1 teaspoon for garnish
- 1 pound sea scallops
Instructions:
You have to love the sturdiness of these Brussels sprouts next to the yieldingness of the scallops, the bitter against the sweet, and the nubbins of bacon and onion that get picked up with every forkful.
- In a straight-sided 12-inch sauté pan, combine the water, Brussels sprouts, bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cook until the water has boiled off and the bacon is beginning to render some of its fat, 6 to 7 minutes.
- Lower the heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, the onion, and the 2 tablespoons tarragon, and continue sautéing. Give the ingredients plenty of room in the pan so they will brown. Do not overstir. They need to sit in one place and brown.
- When the sprouts are nicely browned on all sides and the bacon is crisp, pull the pan off the heat, scoop the mixture into a large bowl, and set it aside.
- Wipe out the sauté pan with a wad of paper towels, and return it to the stove. Heat it over medium-high heat, and add a scant 1 tablespoon olive oil. Then add the scallops, again leaving plenty of room between them so they will brown. Season them with salt and pepper. Let them sear in one spot for 1 to 2 minutes, then check them for a rich brown color. If nicely browned, turn them, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking on the other side for 1 minute.
- Return the Brussels sprout mixture to the pan and continue to cook until the scallops are still a little soft when pressed. Scoop them out of the pan onto a serving platter, then spoon the sprouts and their seasonings over the scallops. Garnish with the remaining tarragon, and serve hot.