Seared Scallops with Bacon-Braised Chard

More CSA chard! Just when my husband thought that he couldn’t eat any more greens, I cooked them with bacon and topped them with scallops. 🙂 I served this dish with corn muffins on the side too- just to be absolutely sure that he would be happy.

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Top Chef Stephanie Izard. The scallops are first pan-seared and then basted with butter halfway through the cooking process over lower heat. Rich and delicious!

Yield: Serves 3 to 4

• 2 thick slices of bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
• 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 3/4 pounds rainbow chard—stems sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick, leaves cut into 1-inch strips
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 12 large sea scallops (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 T unsalted butter

1. In a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, 4 minutes. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
2. Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 3 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and stir until tender but not browned, 2 minutes.
4. Add the tomato and cook until it begins to break down, 2 minutes.
5. Add the chard stems and cook until crisp-tender, 4 minutes.
6. Add the chard leaves and cook over moderately high heat, tossing, until wilted, 5 minutes; drain off any liquid.
7. Add the soy sauce and cook until the leaves are tender, 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
8. Dry the scallops and season with salt and pepper.
9. In another large skillet, heat the oil until just smoking. Add the scallops and cook over high heat for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until golden on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
10. Turn the scallops and add the butter. Cook, spooning the butter on the scallops, until just white throughout, about 3 minutes.
11. Spoon the chard onto plates, top with the scallops and serve.

One Year Ago:

• Ottolenghi’s Sweet Corn Polenta with Eggplant Sauce
• Broiled Salmon with Asparagus & Shiitake Mushrooms

Two Years Ago:

• Milk-Braised Pork Loin
• Grilled Pork Chops with Fried Sage Salsa Verde & Sage Potatoes

Three Years Ago:

• Warm Lentil Salad with Seared Tuna & Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
• Pork & Green Chile Stew

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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