11th August 2011

Salad of Scallops with Bacon

Serves 4

The combination of scallops and bacon crops up in Scottish, English and Manx cooking, one of those wonderful anomalies of flavour balance, which is similar to oysters and bacon and the Welsh trout cooked with bacon. I’ve taken it a little into the present time by presenting it in a salad.

Scallops are one of our most delicious shellfish, native to the cold waters of western Scotland and around the Isle of Man (where there has apparently been a scallop fishery for some 3,000 years). Giant or king scallops are the largest, the queens or queenies being much smaller (and, if used instead, you will need six to seven - or even more - instead of three per person).

Ingredients

12 large scallops
5tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 rashers smoked back bacon
6 spring onions, chopped
1tbsp grain mustard
2tbsp white wine vinegar
2tbsp groundnut oil
1tbsp each of chopped fresh parsley, chives and chervil.

Mixed salad leaves (more or less, depending on whether for a starter or main course)

Instructions

Trim the scallops using the white meat only for this dish. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a solid flat-bottomed frying pan, and sear the scallops until golden brown, a minute or two only. Turn over just to sear, season and then take out and keep warm. Meanwhile trim the bacon and cut into thin strips. Sauté and colour these in the frying pan that the scallops were cooked in. Add the chopped spring onion, and sauté until coloured, and then put both bacon and onion into a large bowl. Mix the mustard and vinegar well in a bowl or jar, then add the remaining olive oil, the groundnut oil, herbs and some seasoning. Take some of the dressing and toss with the salad leaves then lay these in the middle of four plates. Add the remaining dressing to the bacon and onion. Balance the three scallops per person on each mound of salad leaves, and then spoon the bacon, onion and dressing over and around..