Bite-sized, elegant morsels of flavour that take five minutes to cook. This recipe has been adapted from How to Eat: The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food by Nigella Lawson. Add a green leafy salad to round things out.


1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil
4 strips of bacon, cut in half lengthwise
10 scallops
1 tbsp (15 mL) flour, seasoned with a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
1/4 cup (60 mL) dry sherry
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh parsley

Put a teaspoon of oil in a thick-bottomed frying pan set at medium heat. When hot add the strips of bacon. Cook until crisp and remove. Dredge the scallops in flour. Add butter to pan and over a low to medium heat fry scallops, turning after about 3 minutes and cooking on the other side for about another 2, or until they are cooked, but only just. Put scallops and bacon on a plate. Over the heat add sherry to the pan to loosen brown bits and pour it over scallops and bacon. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley. Serves 2.