Warm Scallop and Bacon Salad

Last night I made a simple salad with sea scallops and bacon. Served with rice pilaf, it's an easy and quick dinner. I got the rice cooking before starting anything else since the rest of the dish doesn't take long at all to cook and assemble.

Sea scallops (4-5 per person)
Bacon
Sea salt & black pepper
Bibb, Boston or Butter lettuce
Ripe Jersey tomatoes
Balsamic vinegar
Brown sugar

In a measuring cup add 1 cup of balsamic vinegar and mix in a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar. Set aside.

Put out your plates - arrange the lettuce and tomatoes on each, set aside.
Rinse and pat dry the scallops; salt and pepper each side.

In a large saute pan cook 4 to 6 pieces of bacon. Remove bacon from pan and set on paper towels to drain and cool. Once you can handle the bacon, chop or tear into bite size pieces; sprinkle generously over your lettuce/tomato.

In the still warm saute pan but the heat back up to high; with the bacon drippings still in the pan, saute your sea scallops (don't crowd the scallops; do in shifts if using a smaller pan). Cook 90 seconds and no more; flip over and 90 seconds on the other side. Remove immediately from the pan and place scallops on the lettuce, tomato, bacon.

Reduce the heat in the saute pan to medium, add in the balsamic vinegar. Using a wooden spoon, scape up the bits of on the bottom, deglazing as you go. When the mixture gets to a boil, reduce down to low and continue reducing for about 5 minutes.

Spoon the reduction sauce over your scallop salad and serve immediately.