SERVES:
2-4
INGREDIENTS:
12 large sea scallops (dry packed, "no water added" if possible)
4 - 6 slices of regular cut bacon (see hints)
6 - 8 baby potatoes (see procedure)
approx. 1/2 large sweet onion, thinly chopped
8 - 10 spears asparagus, cut on a bias into long thin slices
dollop of Dijon mustard to taste
2-3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
approx 1 Tbs chopped fresh tarragon
PROCEDURE:
The baby potatoes need to be parboiled for this recipe so gently cook them in a pot in water to cover until they're just cooked through and then cool them down and slice them into 1/2-inch thick coins.
While the potatoes are cooking, go ahead and chop a little fresh tarragon, peel and thinly chop some sweet onion and cut the tougher, lower parts off of the asparagus and cut the spears on a bias into long thin slices.
Buy large "no water added" sea scallops for this and, although you don't want to start cooking them until the potatoes are done, you can wrap each one with a half or third of a slice of bacon, securing the loose end with a wooden toothpick.
To cook the scallops, turn the heat to medium high under a large, heavy bottomed dry nonstick pan and cook the scallops all around on the bacon side to crisp that up a bit and then finish cooking them to your liking on the flat sides
Then take the scallops out of the pan to rest and add the sliced onion and asparagus, to the pan with the rendered bacon fat, and cook that along for a minute.
Then add the potatoes and cook those to warm through, add a little dollop of Dijon mustard, a splash of apple cider vinegar and the chopped tarragon and it's time to eat.
HINTS:
The idea with wrapping the scallops is to use 1/2 slice (or 1/3 slice if the bacon slice is long) to wrap each scallop around the circumference and secure with a wooden toothpick. The piece of bacon needs to be long enough to wrap the scallop, overlapping a bit, but not long enough to double up around the scallop.