Pasta with Scallops and Creamy Bacon Sauce

Pasta with Scallops and Creamy Bacon Sauce (for 2 pax)

Ingredients:

160g of pasta

6 to 8 scallops

3 slices of bacon, chopped into small pieces

0.5 white onion, chopped into small pieces

1 teaspoon of minced garlic

40ml of white wine or stock

90g cream

0.5 tablespoon of butter

Parsley

Salt

Black pepper

Instructions:

1) Pat dry the scallops as much as possible, and set aside on some kitchen towels to absorb more moisture.

2) Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet, then set aside. Keep around 1 cup of the pasta water.

3) Heat some oil on a skillet, then cook the bacon until crispy and brown. Remove the bacon, leaving the grease in the skillet.

4) Cook the onion until it softens, then add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds or so. 

5) Add in the white wine or stock and cook until the liquid has reduced to around half.

6) Turn down the heat and add in the cream and bacon. Cook for around 5 minutes or when the cream starts to thicken. 

7) Add the cooked pasta into the mixture, together with around 30ml of the pasta water. 

8) Season the scallops lightly with salt.

9) Heat up another skillet and add some oil. Make sure the oil is hot, then add the scallops. 

10) Fry the scallops for around 90 seconds on each side, then turn off the heat and add the butter. Make sure each side of the scallop is in contact with some of the butter.

11) Add some parsley and black pepper to the pasta, then serve with the scallops on top.

Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled Eggs (for 2 pax)

The humble scrambled egg - something that is so common and yet has so many variations in the way you can cook it. This recipe is documented down from Gordon Ramsey's Masterclass. 

Ingredients:

5 eggs

Butter
Chives or spring onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of creme fraiche

Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

1) Crack the eggs into a nonstick pot. Do not beat or stir the eggs first. 

2) Add around 2 to 3 chunks of butter in, roughly 1 cm thick.

3) Put the pan over the fire. Make sure you have a good spatula on hand. Now stir the mixture, turning it every time from the top of the pot to the bottom of the pot. This ensures that the mixture cooks evenly and doesn't stick.

4) Once the pot gets really hot, take it off the fire and continue to stir. This prevents the eggs from getting cooked too quickly. An estimated timing is around 60 to 90 seconds on the fire, and 20 seconds off the fire.

5) As the eggs start to get fluffy, add in a teaspoon of creme fraiche, a pinch of chives or spring onion, salt and pepper. Mix it well again, and serve.