Best Seared Scallops With Pea Purée Crispy Bacon And Mint Oil Recipes

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH MINT, PEAS, & BACON

Steps:

• Place scallops on paper towel and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper
• Bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil. Add the peas and a little salt and cook 4 minutes. Drain through a strainer into a bowl and reserve the liquid.
• Meanwhile add the bacon to a large skillet. Cook bacon until fat renders. Add the shallot and cook until the bacon is crisp. Transfer the bacon and shallots to a small bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve the back fat in the pan. Add 1/4 cup of the peas to the bacon and shallot mixture.
• Puree the lemon juice some salt and pepper, the remaining peas and 1/4 cup reserved pea cooking water, mint and olive oil. Process until well incorporated and somewhat smooth.
• Heat the skillet with the rendered bacon fat. Add more olive oil if needed. Sear the scallops 3 minutes per side until browned.
• Plate the pea puree with the scallops and bacon pea mixutre. Then garnish with mint

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH MINT, PEAS, AND BACON

Steps:

• Place scallops on a paper towel-lined plate and pat very dry with additional paper towels. Season both sides with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper total.
• Bring 1 cup water to a boil, covered, in a small pot. Add peas and 1/2 tsp. salt; cook until peas are bright green and tender, about 2 minutes for fresh and 4 minutes for frozen. Drain peas through a strainer set over a bowl; reserve cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, add bacon to a large skillet and heat over medium-high. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until fat starts to render, about 3 minutes. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned and bacon is crisp, about 3 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon and shallot to a small bowl, reserving fat in skillet. Add 1/2 cup cooked peas to bacon mixture.
• Purée lemon juice, 1/8 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, the remaining 1 1/2 cups peas, and 1/2 cup reserved pea cooking liquid in a blender. Add oil and pureé until smooth. Add 2 Tbsp. mint leaves and pureé until just combined but pieces of mint are still visible. Divide pea purée among 4 plates.
• Heat skillet with reserved fat over high until just barely smoking. Working in batches and adding more oil if necessary, sear scallops until a golden brown crust has formed and scallop releases from skillet, about 3 minutes per side. Top pea purée with scallops and bacon-pea mixture, then sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp. mint.