Friday
starts the Giro d' Italia. Although I am not passionate about cycling, -certainly
I am not a huge fan at all, I used to follow cycling competitions in Spain. But
the news this year is that the Giro starts here in Belfast. As strange as it
sounded the first time I heard about it (several months ago I thought they were
joking when I was told it for the first time) now I got used to the idea. I
think of it now as the most natural thing in the world, after weeks in which
the city has been getting covered in pink, I am even getting used to a new form
of excitement from kids and adults alike over this event, absolutely new for
the place.
I'm still
amazed at how surreal the whole thing is, but I am finding lovely all the excitement
that surrounds me, and the pride of local people wanting to take the
opportunity to show the world how beautiful their home is. It is mixed, however,
with my concern over the tremendously
chilly weather that awaits the poor
runners, who in the end are the real stars of the show, (although sometimes all
the showbiz style of this things makes it really difficult to remember that, in
the end, this was supposed to be an sport event).
So if any
of you follows the Giro “Grande Partenza”, you will almost certainly have a
look at the same streets I walk through every morning on my way to work. You
might take a glimpse at the impressive University building right close to my
office, or see the equally impressive Titanic building (which, by the way, is
another of those things that make me smile. You will agree with me that there
is some dark sense of humor in making such a tribute to the most famous
shipwreck in history. Although, as they say here: “she was perfect when it left
here").
If the
weather is generous enough and you are lucky, you might also have a spectacular
view of astonishing green landscapes, wild seaside and rock cliffs, as wild as
they can only be thanks to the wind and constant rain that waters tirelessly
this part of the world. And with a bit of luck, just for once, all those good
feelings and all those desires of looking forward to the future will be the
only news that would come out from here.
So with all
this just around the corner what I want is to prepare a colorful , fast , tasty
seafood dish as this one that I prepared today.
This is the simplest thing you can do, but it
is one of those showstopper starters you will use once and again.
Scallops
with crispy bacon and white wine sauce
Ingredients
(for 2 people)
8 -10 beautiful
scallops without coral (frozen if you cannot get them fresh)
80 grams of bacon or
pancetta into small dices
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 glass of white wine
( the better the wine, the better the sauce, so go for the best you can afford)
20 grams of butter
Freshly ground nutmeg
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Some sprouts for
garnish ( optional)
Olive oil
Preparation
Prepare a
light béchamel. Start by melting butter. Add flour and cook it slightly before
adding the wine. If necessary, add some more wine, until having a creamy light
texture. Add a hit of nutmeg, salt and pepper (not too much as bacon will be
already salty).
In a large
skillet, sautee the bacon in a little olive oil, until crispy, but not dry.
Remove and let drain on kitchen paper. In the same pan, at medium heat, fry the
scallops lightly. Add a bit of salt and pepper, and serve immediately putting
some sauce, scallops and bacon in the dish, and garnishing with sprouts.
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