Scallops with Parmesan Grits and Bacon

I love scallops at a restaurant, but I have always been too scared to cook them at home. They are an expensive item in the grocery store, especially in the mid-west, but the price was right and it was time to try. Buying the scallops was the easy part. BUT…reminder…if you are in the midwest  or any land locked location, always buy frozen. Buying frozen insures they are fresh. Most markets in the mid-west get fish frozen, so any that you find thawed have been previously frozen, and honestly fish just gets weird when you freeze, thaw, freeze, etc. so play it safe. This goes for any seafood that you can’t catch yourself close by.

ANYWAY, onto the meal.

I started by cooking the bacon, cut into pieces, in my cast iron skillet. Cook until it’s nice and crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Mean while, bring water and milk to a rapid boil for the grits. Pour the grits into the water/milk mixture and stir constantly for 5-7 minutes until thickened. Add butter, parmesan, salt/ pepper, stir until butter is melted and parmesan is incorporated. Set aside.

In the skillet the bacon was cooked in, remove a little of the grease until only about a tablespoon remains. Make the pan nice and hot, but not screaming. Pat the scallops dry and season liberally with salt and pepper on one side.

Place in the hot skillet season side down, let cook about 2 minutes until the under side is crispy. Season the other side of the scallops and flip. Cook another minute and a half. Remove the scallops from the pan and set aside. Add butter and garlic to the pan, until melted and garlic is fragrant.

Stir in green onion to grits and plate. Top the grits with your seared scallops and bacon. Drizzle butter over everything to get allllll that yummy butter and remaining bacon grease flavor.

 

Recipe

Scallops with Parmesan Grits and Bacon                     Serves 2

For the Scallops

1 pound Frozen Scallops – (thawed right before cooking)

5 slices Bacon

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons butter

 

For the Grits

3/4 cup 5 minute Grits

1 cup Water

2 cups 1% Milk (1/2 and 1/2 or Heavy Cream would be great too!)

1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan

2 tablespoons butter

1 green onion, diced

Salt and Pepper – to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the bacon into bite size pieces and cook in skillet. About 8 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel
2. Bring the water and milk to a rapid boil. Add grits, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Turn heat to low, or off. Add in butter, parmesan, salt and pepper stir until melted.
3. Bring the same pan you cooked the bacon in to a med-high heat. Make sure you leave some of the bacon grease in the pan for the scallops to cook in. About one tablespoon.
4. Pat the scallops dry and season with salt and pepper. Put the seasoned side down and cook about 2 minutes. Pat the other side of the scallops, season, and flip. Continue cooking about 1 1/2  – 2 more minutes. Remove from pan.
5. Add Garlic and butter to the pan, cook until butter is melted and garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Stir the green onion into your grits and plate. Top with Scallops, Bacon, and drizzle with garlic butter.
7. Enjoy!