The great thing about salads is that they are one of the most versatile meals to prepare. The chef is at liberty to mix and match the components that go into the salad according to the preferences of his/her guests. I had the pleasure of the company of one of my best friends in Singapore, G, yesterday. G shares my love for Italian food, dogs and movies. She also has some of the cutest expressions to describe everyday phenomena among anyone I know.
Let me illustrate. We were shopping for dinnerware for last year's Christmas party. She asked why we couldn't use the existing ones that I have which are quite frankly rather shabby.
Me: It's important that they all match.
G: Yeah, so they have to be a bit atas-lah.
Me: I guess the ones I have are a bit bawah.
"Atas" being the Malay world for Up or upper, as opposed to "bawah" or down.
Anyways, G was a little under the weather so I decided a simple meal of soup and salad was probably best.
This salad is an adaptation of a Jamie Oliver original. The combination of the sweetness from the slightly charred red onions, the bitterness from the rocket, the saltiness from the bacon and the tartness from the balsamic vinegar makes this not just tasty, but visually appealing. Key to the success of this dish is speed and concentration. I do not recommend making this dish while you are multi tasking. The wild mushroom soup I had on the other burner suffered neglect, for example, as I let too much of the liquid evaporate and it ended up a bit salty by the time I got to it. So give this dish your all, and you will be rewarded with what is, in my opinion, quite a classy, atas dish.
Serves 2-3 as a starter
Ingredients:
1 pack of wild rocket leaves
1 pack of baby spinach leaves
3 medium sized red onions, cut into wedges
4 nos. sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced thinly
A handful of pinenuts
2-3 sticks of thyme
2 pieces of streaky bacon
4-5 scallops per person, drained and patted dry with paper towels
Extra virgin olive oil
The best quality balsamic vinegar you have
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
A few sprinkles of Parmesan (optional)
Method:
Heat a non-stick skillet on medium-high with about two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. In the meantime, season your scallops with seasoning of your choice (for example, cajun seasoning, lemon and pepper, etc. I used Montreal steak seasoning). Place your salad leaves in a large bowl. When hot, add bacon to the pan and cook until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Crumble into pieces. Add to the pan the scallops and shake them around. Cook until they turn opaque, dish up and keep warm. (Don't overcook - you want your scallops succulent and just done) Now throw in your thyme sprigs, and red onions and season with sea salt and black pepper. (Remember that your bacon and scallops are already salted, so don't be too liberal). After about three-five minutes add in your pine nuts, stir around. Working quickly, tip the onions, thyme and pine nuts into the salad bowl. Add your sun dried tomatoes. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar and additional extra virgin olive oil if necessary. Toss around to wilt a little and season to taste.
Presentation - Divide salad among plates, garnish with bacon bits and a sprinkling of Pamersan and top with scallops. Serve immediately.
never was one for greens...but i now can be converted...thanks.
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