Sea Scallops With Peas, Bacon And Carrots

I was looking for a scallop recipe because I had some in the freezer and I desperately need to clean out the clutter from the fridge and freezer.  I am repeating the mantra, do not go shopping for new food, yet!  The only thing I didn't have on hand was the butter lettuce, so I thought that was pretty good.  I have to say, while bacon and scallops are amazing, I still was as excited as you would think for this dish.  I really loved it.  I did mess up the scallops, but I tried to cook them all at once to save time and get us all eating together.  They were edible, but hardly my best.  I took the leftover white rice and salsa verde from last night and mixed them for the starch.  Meh.  It was no where near as good as the previous night.  And of course a salad.  The boy didn't like mixture under the scallops, but my husband and I really did.


Sea Scallops With Peas, Bacon And Carrots

4 sl of thick-cut bacon,cut into 1/4-inch matchsticks
3 T  unsalted butter
1/2    small Vidalia or other sweet onion,cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 c  frozen baby peas,thawed
1/4 c  chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 c  packed shredded Boston lettuce (6 leaves)
1 t  fresh lemon juice
2 T  finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 T  extra-virgin olive oil
16    large sea scallops (about 1
           -1/2 pounds)
1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until
browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the
bacon to paper towels to drain.
2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the skillet and
add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and carrot and cook over
moderate heat, stirring, until the carrot is crisp-tender, about 5
minutes. Add the peas and cook just until heated through. Add the
chicken stock, cover and simmer until the carrot is tender, about 3
minutes. Stir in the shredded lettuce, lemon juice, parsley and bacon
and cook just until the lettuce wilts. Season the vegetables generously
with salt and pepper and keep warm.
3. In another large skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter
in the olive oil. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and cook
over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables to warmed plates, top with the scallops and