Marinated scallops baked in radicchio leaves

Radicchio has a bitter taste that contrasts well with the sweetness of the scallops.  The bacon adds another dimension to the flavours.

Preparation Time: 30 Mins

Cooking Time: 15 Mins

Total Time: 45 Mins

Ingredients

For 2 servings…

4                    Scallops    

12 leaves         Radicchio   

1 rasher           Bacon  - fatty, chopped          

For the marinade

4 tbs               Olive oil    

½ tbs             Vinegar  - balsamic   

2 cloves           Garlic  - crushed      

1 pinch            Cayenne    

                      Salt          

Method

To prepare the marinade…

Beat all the marinade ingredients together.  Pour over the scallops and leave while preparing the radicchio leaves.

To prepare the radicchio leaves…

Boil some water in a wide pan – possibly a frying pan.  Keeping them flat, carefully submerge the radicchio leaves, a few at a time, in the water and leave to go limp.  With a spatula, take out the leaves and let them drain.  Dry them with kitchen towel.

To cook the scallops…

Pre-heat an oven to 180°C.

Take the scallops out of the marinade and dry them.

Heat a frying pan until very hot.  Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes until crispy.  Add the scallops and sear them for a few seconds on each side.  Remove them and the bacon from the pan.

Lay out 3 radicchio leaves so that they are overlapping.  Place a scallop and bits of bacon on top of the middle of them.  Spoon over a little of the marinade and fold the leaves to form a bundle.  Place in a gratin dish.  Repeat for the remainder of the scallops.  Pour any remaining marinade over the parcels and place the dish in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.  Serve.

Variations

The recipe works well with monkfish.

Wine recommendations

Conventional

     Côte Chalonnaise blanc

Interesting

     Entre-deux-Mers

     Jurançon sec

     Picpoul de Pinet

     Sauvignon de Touraine