Author Notes
I guess I have to admit that I am an appetizer girl at heart. This recipe combines two of my favorites: bacon wrapped scallops and a trio of salsas, all fit for dipping into and eliminating the need for an actual entrée.
There are two tips that help in successfully pulling off this dish. The first is par-cooking the bacon before wrapping it around the scallops. Waiting for raw bacon to fully crisp up while it’s around the scallops will result in overcooked mollusks. The second is to make sure that all three purees are relatively the same thickness (add chicken stock or reduce over low heat as appropriate) so that they stay put once they pump up against each other. Having one thinner than the others means it will run all over them.
—cheese1227
Ingredients
- Seared bacon-wrapped scallops
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8
large sea scallops
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Kosher Salt
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8
slices of peppered bacon (I bought some lovely stuff at Whole Foods)
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Black bean chipotle puree (recipe below)
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Roasted red bell pepper puree (recipe below)
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Avocado lime puree (recipe below)
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Sour cream and cilantro sprigs for garnish
- Trifecta of Tex-Mex purees
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1
can black bean soup (such as Goya)
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1
whole chili in adobo sauce, extra adobo sauce to taste
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3/4 to 1 1/2 cups
chicken stock, divided
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3 tablespoons
olive oil, divided
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1/2
medium sweet yellow onion, small diced
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2
red bell peppers, roasted, skins removed and diced.
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1
avocado, skin and pit removed
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1
clove of garlic
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1 tablespoon
fresh lime juice
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Leaves of 4 cilantro springs
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Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Seared bacon-wrapped scallops
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Completely dry the scallops and season them lightly with kosher salt.
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Partly cook bacon in a large non-stick skillet so that it is partly crisp but still bendable. Pour off all but about one tablespoon of the bacon fat.
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Take one piece of bacon and wrap it around one scallop. When you get it once and a bit around the scallop, secure the wrap with a toothpick. Trim the excess bacon of after the toothpick as you don’t really want to overwhelm the scallop with double thick bacon. Repeat this process with the remaining scallops.
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Over medium heat, sear the scallops for about 2 minutes on each side. Turn the scallops on their sides and crisp up the bacon all around the scallop.
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While the scallops are searing, spoon equal amounts of all three purees into four flat-bottomed bowls. Add a dollop of sour cream on the center where the purees meet, and add two scallops to each bowl. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
- Trifecta of Tex-Mex purees
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For black bean puree. Combine soup, chipotle chile, adobo sauce (if adding extra, that is) and 1/4 cup of chicken stock in a small saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove chili. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture. Keep warm.
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For red pepper puree, saute onions in olive oil in a small saucepan until soft. Add peppers and 1/4 cup of chicken stock. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
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For avocado puree, Combine avocado, garlic, lime juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/4 cup chicken stock in a food processer and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep cool.
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Check the consistency of the purees to make sure they are realitively the same thickness. Adjust with extra chicken stock of the right temperature as necessary.
I am an excellent eater (I have been all my life). I’m a pretty good cook (Ask my kids!). And my passable writing improves with alcohol (whether it's the writer or the reader that needs to drink varies by sentence.). I just published my first cookbook, Green Plate Special, which focuses on delicious recipes that help every day cooks eat more sustainably.
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