Sauteed Scallops with Brussel Sprout Bacon Hash and Brown Butter Sauce

A couple of weeks ago...OK, it was the weekend after Valentine's Day...Chris and I went to a cooking class at one of our favorite cooking schools, The Chopping Block.  This was a demo class so we were able to sit back relax and eat.  The Chopping Block has fantastic chefs that have such a passion for cooking and with great personalities as well.  This class got Chris to eat Brussels sprouts and me to scallops.  Yep, it's possible the Earth fell off its axis that night.  All of the food was fabulous but the appetizer was one of the more amazing things I have eaten lately.

For the hash:

1/4lb. bacon, cut into thin slices
4 fingerling potatoes, sliced into thin circles
1lb. Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
t tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. fresh thyme, rough chopped
salt and pepper to taste

For the scallops:

2 tbsp. grapeseed oil
8 sea scallops
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. butter
4 fresh sage leaves

To prepare the hash, heat a saute pan over medium low heat.  Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until just crispy.

Add the potatoes and cook for about 2 minutes.  Stir in the Brussels sprouts and shallots and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender and the Brussels sprouts are crisp yet tender.

Deglaze with the balsamic vinegar, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Stir in the thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

To cook the scallops, heat a separate large saute pan over medium high heat and add the grapeseed oil. Season the scallops with salt and pepper to taste.  Arrange them in the pan so they aren't touching and sear on the first side until very caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium, flip the scallops and swirl in the butter.  Baste the scallops with the butter until they are just cooked through, about 1 additional minute.  Remove from the heat and add the sage leaves.

For the assembly, place a small spoonful of the Brussels sprout hash on each plate.  Top with 2 scallops and drizzle the brown butter sauce around and over the scallops.  Garnish with sage leaves and serve.