Cook: Pan Seared Scallops with Crispy Bacon, Sage, and Lentil Salad

 

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe. Here is a nice light, yet complex and sophisticated, salad by Jamie Oliver that I tested out a few weeks ago.  I used pre-cooked ready to eat lentils from Trader Joe's so that cut prep time by a lot.  I bought my scallops from local Santa monica seafood.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 12 thin slices of streaky bacon or pancetta (I cut up 8 slices of thick bacon)
• 2 tsbp olive oil
• 32 fresh sage leaves (= 8 leaves per person)
• 12-16 scallops (depends on how many you want to serve each person)
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• juice of one lemon
• 8 heaping tbsp of cooked lentils (I used trader joe's) 
• 4 large handfuls of green salad leaves
• olive oil and lemon juice dressing

Directions:

1. Pat scallops dry (do not rinse or they will be soggy!); lightly salt and pepper. set aside
2. Fry the bacon/pancetta in a small amount of olive oil in a hot pan.
3. When bacon/pancetta is nearly ready, add the sage. The bacon and sage will cook and crisp up at about the same time.
4. Once they are cooked, take them out of the pan and place on paper towels to drain the excess oil
5. Put pan back on heat and when very hot, drizzle a little oil (or use some reserved bacon grease) to fry the seasoned scallops
6. Fry scallops for about a minute each or until skin is slightly crisp and golden brown
7. When both sides of scallops are cooked, squeeze the lemon juice on top and give a stir. They will continue to caramelize
8. Take the scallops out of the pan and put them into a dish
9. Using the same pan, reheat the lentils
10. Dress the salad leaves with a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice and oil. Divid onto 4 plates. 
11. Sprinkle the crispy bacon and crispy sage leaves over the 4 salad plates. Then add the scallops.
12. When lentils are hot, sprinkle on top!

Bon Appetit!