Stir-fried Scallops and Shiitake Mushrooms with Gingered Grits and Smoked Bacon Vinaigrette

When John Wabesk was chef of Firefly before moving on to New Heights, this was one of his most popular main courses. The Smoked Bacon Vinaigrette, which can be used as a dressing for other things, like a young-spinach salad, may be made ahead. Once you have the ingredients assembled, it's a smooth process to produce the dish.

Serves four.

Smoked Bacon Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons smoked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup chicken stock or water

Sauté bacon until crisp. Add shallot and garlic and sauté an additional minute. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and chicken stock or water, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Scallops, mushrooms and grits
2 cups chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/4 cup instant grits
1/4 cup butter
12 ounces large sea scallops, side muscle removed
1 cup packed spinach leaves (or watercress, thick stalks removed)
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, cut in julienne strips
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon scallions, white only, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
Smoked bacon vinaigrette

Combine chicken stock or water with ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add grits, whisking constantly. Simmer for three or four minutes over medium heat until thickened, whisking frequently. Whisk in butter, and season with salt and pepper.

Season scallops with salt and pepper. In a small saucepan, heat smoked bacon vinaigrette. Heat a large sauté pan with canola oil. Sauté scallops until golden, about 90 seconds.

Flip scallops and continue cooking until medium rare, about 60 additional seconds.

Remove to a warm place. Using the same pan, sauté shiitakes until tender, then add spinach and oyster sauce, cooking until spinach is wilted.

Divide grits among four plates. Top with shiitake-spinach mixture. Arrange scallops on top. Spoon smoked bacon vinaigrette around. Sprinkle each plate with cilantro and scallions.

Serve immediately.

This recipe first appeared in the NorthWest Current. Photo Bill Petros/The Current. 

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