Seared Scallops with White Beans and Bacon

Seared Scallops with White Beans and Bacon
serves 4
recipe found in Women's Health, December 2011

Tasty seafood dish full of protein

2 strips bacon, chopped into small pieces

1/2 red onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cans white beans (14 oz each), rinsed and drained

4 cups baby spinach

1 lb large sea scallops

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp butter

juice of 1 lemon

1. Heat a medium saucepan on low, and cook the bacon until it begins to crisp. Pour off some of the bacon fat and add the onion and garlic. Saute them until the onion is soft and translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the white beans and spinach; cook until the beans are hot and the spinach is wilted. Keep warm.

2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or saute pan on medium high. Blot the scallops dry with a paper towel and season them on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the pan. After it melts, add the scallops. Sear them 2 to 3 minutes on each side until they're deeply caramelized.

3. Before serving, add the lemon juice to the beans, along with some salt and pepper. Divide the beans among four warm bowls or plates and top with scallops.

Karl's reaction: "It smells fishy in here. This is actually really good though, babe. The bacon makes this dish."

My take: I didn't want to spend $26 on 6 scallops so I instead bought a big bag of small frozen ones. They took a lot longer to cook than 2-3 minutes on each side. Maybe I did something wrong but this dish turned out really good. I would make again. Lots of flavor!