Pan Seared Scallops with Bacon Cream Sauce
An easy dinner made with tender scallops that are pan seared to golden perfection on a bed of creamy and cheesy bacon sauce.
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About Pan Seared Scallops with Bacon Cream Sauce
While I was making plans for meals last week I was surprised to find we (still) had an abundance of bacon and scallops in the house, so I figured I would do the only thing that seemed logical:
Pan sear those scallops to tender, golden perfection and put them on a bed of creamy, cheesy bacon sauce.
I think that might be the most delicious sentence I’ve ever written.
This is the type of dish that could be served as an appetizer (because your guests will love you) or as a light yet indulgent dinner (your guests will still love you).
When I whipped these up, an old friend of mine and I opted to take the dinner route with a side of rice.
However, you may notice that the rice isn’t pictured here.
That’s because I ate my portion of the scallops long before the five-minute rice was done.
When there’s succulent seafood at stake, time is of the essence!
Because yes, these scallops were that good.
As was the bacon.
And the creamy cheese.
Apparently I need to go pick up some more scallops and bacon.
Quick editorial note: In most cases, when you see a recipe on this site, it’s the first time I successfully made that dish. I like to think that if I can make these dishes on the first try then so can anyone. However, if you need a few tips to get you to seared scallop success, check out these helpful links:
Want to know how to pick the absolute best scallops for this recipe? Check out this article.
Never pan fried a scallop before? Fear not – click here for tips!
So, what about you? How do you like to eat pan seared scallops? Do you have them as a dinner or an appetizer?
Let me know all about it in the comments!
Pan Seared Scallops with Bacon Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, chopped into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound scallops, medium or large
- 1 pinch black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon chives, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare scallops by rinsing and drying thoroughly with a paper towel. Scallops should be as dry as possible so they sear properly. Set aside while preparing the next few steps.
- In a large skillet, cook chopped bacon over medium high heat until brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add cream, Parmesan, and butter to skillet with bacon grease and stir until butter and and cheese are melted. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has reduced by half. Add bacon back to the skillet and season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low until scallops are done.
- In another skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Make sure skillet is VERY shot before moving on.
- Add scallops to skillet, flat side down. Sear for one minute, then use tongs to flip scallops to opposite flat side. Sear for another minute, then remove scallops to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve scallps on a bed of creamy bacon sauce and garnished with chopped chives for garnish.
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I'm not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
