Seared Scallops With Bacon, Tarragon And Lemon

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 ounce bacon, cut crosswise into thin pieces
• 8 (1 inch) sea scallops, foot removed, if necessary, and patted dry
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Recipe

• 1 cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp but not dry and drain on a piece of paper towel. leave 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the pan (there probably won't be much more than that, but discard any extra if there is).
• 2 season the scallops with salt and pepper, to taste. increase the heat under the skillet to medium-high, add the butter, and sear the scallops until brown and glossy, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. transfer the scallops to a plate and set aside.
• 3 remove pan from heat and add the vermouth and lemon juice. now return the skillet to the heat and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. stir in the water.
• 4 while the sauce reduces, slice the scallops in half vertically. slip them into the reduced sauce with the tarragon, parsley, and bacon bits and give the skillet a swirl to bring everything together. taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. divide the scallops with their sauce among small plates or asian soup spoons and serve immediately.