Stir Fry of Scallops and Shiitake Mushrooms with Gingered Grits and Smoked Bacon Vinaigrette
Chef John Wabeck of Firefly — Washington, D.C.
Adapted by StarChefs

Wine Pairing:
Fiano di Avellino, Feudi di San Gregorio 2001 (Italy)

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

For Stir Fry of Scallops and Grits
• 2 cups chicken stock or water
• 1 Tablespoon ginger, minced
• ¼ cup instant grits
• ¼ cup butter
• 12 ounces large sea scallops, with side muscle removed
• 1 cup packed spinach leaves
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, julienned
• 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 Tablespoon scallions, very thinly sliced
• 1 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped
  
  
For Smoked Bacon Vinaigrette
• 2 Tablespoons smoked bacon, cut into ¼ inch dice
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• ¼ cup chicken stock or water

Method:

Prepare the Smoked Bacon Vinaigrette:
In a small pan, sauté bacon until crisp. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and chicken stock or water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Set aside until needed.

Prepare Stir Fry of Scallops and Grits:
In a small saucepan, combine chicken stock or water with ginger. Bring to a boil and add grits, whisking constantly. Simmer for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until thickened, whisking frequently. Whisk in butter and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

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 brown, about 90 seconds. Flip scallops over and continue cooking until medium rare, about another minute. Remove scallops from the pan and place on a warm place.

Using the same pan, sauté the shiitake mushrooms until tender. Then add the spinach and oyster sauce and cook until spinach is wilted.

To serve:
Divide the grits among four dinner plates. Top the grits with the shiitake-spinach mixture. Arrange scallops on top of the spinach mixture. Spoon warm smoked bacon vinaigrette around. Sprinkle each plate with cilantro and scallions. Serve immediately.