Scallop BLT

For the past few months, Jon and I have been obsessed with making BLTs. We can’t stop. I’ll buy bacon at the Hungarian meat market and we’ll eat BLTs three meals a day until the bacon is gone. On the right bread, with juicy tomatoes and homemade mayonnaise, this simple classic is perfect for a summer meal.

For our BLT bite, we wanted to do something a little different to make the bite interesting and special. Since it’s been so hot, I’ve been craving seafood and trying to make crab, lobster and fish for dinner whenever I have the opportunity. Scallops wrapped in bacon are always delicious, so we thought this time, we would stuff the scallop with bacon instead. We used small heirloom tomatoes and bok choi from the farmers market as our lettuce element. Our scallop BLT turned out colorful and succulent.

INGREDIENTS
(makes 4)

4 sea scallops
Salt and pepper
Wondra flour
1 head bok choi
1 small heirloom tomato
2 slices of bacon
Honey Mustard Glaze (recipe below)
Herb Mayonnaise (recipe below)

For the Honey Mustard Glaze:

1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp brewed coffee
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cinnamon

 

Process:
This glaze and method for cooking bacon can really be used any time you make bacon. It’s so easy and gives the bacon an extra little kick that will surprise you.

1. Mix ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Arrange bacon on a baking sheet lined with foil.
3. Using a pastry brush, apply glaze to one side of the bacon. Cover with foil and weigh down using a second, smaller baking sheet or flat-bottomed oven safe pan.
4. Bake at 450° for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Cut into 1×1 inch pieces.

For the Herb Mayonnaise:

1 egg yolk
1 tbsp Dijon
1 cup Canola oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper
tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp celery seed
½ tsp cumin

 

Process:

1. Put egg yolk and Dijon into a medium sized bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until you have created an emulsion – don’t add the oil too fast, or the emulsion could break.
2. Add remaining ingredients to taste.

For the Bite:

1. Set a pot of water to boil on the stove for the bok choi. For this bite, it’s best to blanch the bok choi so that the leaves are softened and easier to work with. Blanching the greens in salt water will also help retain their vibrant green color. We used large bok choi and removed the stems. The leaves only take a second to blanch – you want to keep a little crispness to them. Dip them into the boiling water, wait a second, and then put them straight into a bowl of ice water.
2. While the water is heating, prepare the bacon and bake.
3. In the meantime, cook the scallop. Heat a small pan on high heat. Oil pan with canola oil and heat until nearly smoking. Sprinkle scallop with salt and pepper, and dust the top of the scallop with a thin coating of Wondra flour. Sear the scallop on the floured side until golden brown, about a minute. Flip when golden and cook for another minute. Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan and baste the scallop to finish cooking and give it some extra buttery flavor. Let scallop rest for at least 30 seconds before cutting it in half.
4. When all the components are ready, assemble the bite. Halve the scallop and layer the bok choi, tomato and bacon. Slather top half of scallop with the herb mayo and serve

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© 2010 Jonathan Meter and Jessica Hertle

Tagged as: bacon, BLT, bok choi, glaze, heirloom tomatoes, maple syrup, Mayonnaise, Scallop