Another Mise En Place Original(tm) but not nearly as good as the Thai Risotto below.  This one was a simple experimental full plate that had some great components, and a couple missteps.   One of the missteps is that there are too many things on the plate, but I was trying to use up a bunch of stuff from the fridge at a time.  It became a bit overwhelming.

The biggest misstep, however, concerns something that has recently become an axiom popularized by some TV food hosts that shall remain nameless.  "Everything tastes great when cooked in bacon fat!"  I like the indulgent tone of this type of talk, and I'm a big fan of adding anything to a dish that will make it yummier, even if it ups the artery clogging factor exponentially.  But there are exceptions, like spinach.  Spinach sautéed in bacon drippings simply absorbs too much of that grease and somehow those flavors really clash.  It can also become much too salty, a surefire way to ruin anything.  I live, I learn.

Now the TV ewok (yes, I ripped that nomenclature off from Kitchen Confidential) does have a point when it comes to scallops.  Great sea scallops, like the kind we buy at Captain Jim's, with a little salt and pepper, seared in a bit of bacon fat, would make a Zen master envious.  This is culinary nirvana.  Try it.  Make sure your scallops are fresh and not white, but somewhere on the off-white spectrum.  If they're white, your supermarket has been soaking them in water to beef up their size, reduce the flavor concentration, and charge you more.

Ingredients

Super Sea Scallops
Smoked bacon
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

The whole dish here is not worth me writing up, because I'm not going to make it again, and you aren't either.  However, you are going to sear some scallops in bacon fat and find something better to serve that with.

For those of you in the Rochester, NY area who haven't eaten at or even heard of "Food at Fishers Station", I pity your souls.  Their offerings are the epitome of comfort food.  Except it's a lot better than mom used to make for all but a fortunate few.  Today at lunch I had the "Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli" from their daily changing menu (everything $6!)  The pasta was being freshly rolled out for the ravioli as we dined, a luxury not found at most of the crappy Italian "ristorantes" that litter our burbs.  Another day I'll give a full review, but there is no other place I've dined at locally with the consistency of quality that graces this nondescript establishment every weekday.

6 Cups Chicken Stock
1 Cup (I/2 package) Arborio Rice
1/2 Pound Fresh Green Beans
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Kaffar Lime Leaves
1 Lime
2 Stalks Lemon Grass - Outer leaves removed, chopped
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
2 Tbsp Minced Ginger
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
2 Handfuls Fresh Basil
1/4 Cup Coconut Milk
2 tsp Thai Green Curry
1 tsp Ground Coriander
 

Fresh tomato and basil sprigs for garnish.
 

Add lime leaves and lemon grass to stock and heat to a boil. Bring to a low simmer. Remove as much of the lemon grass as possible with a slotted spoon when flavor has permeated stock ~10 minutes.
 

Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the green beans until crisp tender. Drain and run cold water over beans to stop cooking. Set aside.
 

Add oil to large sauté pan over moderately high heat. Sauté onions briefly ~1-2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and sauté an additional minute. Mix green curry in pan and briefly sauté. Add rice and stir well until some of the rice starts to take on slightly browned and blackened specs ~2 minutes. Deglaze pan with juice of one lime. Add a ladle or two of stock at a time constantly stirring and keeping the rice vigorously boiling. As the rice absorbs the liquid add more stock. The rice is done when there is no more crunch in the middle and it has taken on a creamy texture. When rice is nearly done add chopped basil, green beans, and coconut milk.