Seared Scallops and Bacon Crostini

Recipe Contributed by Eric Keener

ENGAGEMENT DINNER! We had the opportunity to celebrate our good friend's engagement by spearing a lingcod and cooking them dinner! I've wanted to incorporate some new techniques into my cooking and I got to go all out on this meal after planning each dish for almost a week! 

The Menu

Appetizer: Candied Bacon Bits, Seared Scallop, Melted Brie, Charred Jalapeno and Crispy Garlic on Brown Butter Fried Bread with Truffle Oil Drizzle
Salad: Tomato, Caper, Avocado and Basil Salad with Balsamic Vinegar Pearls and a Black Coral Tuile (Recipe Here)
Main Course: Fresh Speared Lingcod over Squid Ink Beluga Lentils and Herbed Ranch on Seared Endive (Recipe Here)
Dessert: Deconstructed S'mores with Engagement Ring Graham Cracker Cookie (Recipe Here)

Ingredients

• Bacon

• Brown Sugar

• Butter

• Fresh Garlic

• Brie Cheese

• Sea Salt

• Truffle Oil

• Jalapeno

• Scallops

• Fresh Baguette

Recipe

This dish is pretty easy but it's all about timing and pan heat. First start by ripping bacon up into the size you want, then put them on a cooking rack (not a tray) over some tinfoil. Cover the topside with brown sugar and put in the oven at 425 for about 20 minutes or until the bacon is clearly cooked and the sugar melted. While it's in the oven, put a fair amount of butter in a pan and add baguette slices until they brown in each side.

Now here is the timing part. While the bread cooks, add a few thin slices of garlic and let it cook until browned on both sides (I used a mandolin to slice mine super thin). In the same pan, add some high heat oil (like Canola), crank up the heat to maximum and drop your scallop in to hard sear it on one side, keeping the middle raw (only if the scallops are fresh from the ocean, otherwise cook through).

Just after the scallops and garlic are done put the scallop on the bread then drop the heat to medium , and add slices of brie cheese to the pan (I take the rind off of all but one side because it can be over powering - but a little is nice). Only keep the brie on the pan long enough for it to start to melt and immediately take it off and add it next to the scallop on top of the fried bread. Slice a couple pieces of jalapeno (however you think looks neat) and then either hold them over an open flame, or use a torch (I love using my torch - the charred flavor adds so much depth) to blacken the skin. Your bacon should be about done (it should be fully cooked and not too flimsy), remove it, put everything on the bread and sprinkle some coarse salt (I use coarse Hawaiian black salt). Once you put it on the plate, drizzle some truffle oil over the whole thing and immediately serve warm.

Scallops, Recipe and Photo Provided by Eric Keener