Courtesy Chef Santos Majano, Soif Restaurant, Wine Bar & Merchants, Santa Cruz
Serves 4–6
2 Charentais melons
5 sea scallops*
2 ounces smoked applewood bacon
1 cup basil leaves
Fresh lime juice
1⁄2 cup canola oil
Sea salt to taste
Petite greens and edible flowers for garnish
Peel melons, remove seeds and cut into thin slices. Dice bacon and brown in pan. Remove and place on paper towel.
In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Quickly blanch the basil for 3–5 seconds. Re- move and shock in ice bath for 1 minute. Squeeze basil to remove the extra water. Place basil in blender with oil and blend until completely incorporated. Strain liquid through a cheesecloth. Set aside.
To assemble plate, first arrange one layer of melon. Slice each scallop horizontally into four thin disks and place over melon slices. Drizzle with lime juice and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Top each scallop slice with bacon. Sprinkle with petite greens and edible flowers for garnish. Drizzle basil oil over the plate and enjoy!
*Note: Make sure to buy the freshest scallops you can find, and let your fishmonger know you’ll be serving them raw, so he or she gives you a top-quality selection.
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
