Seafood Salad Swirl

When it comes to healthy, tasty meals, salad is one of the best choices around.

The Early Show resident chef Bobby Flay has created a salad with sea scallops and fava beans that will really get your guests talking. And, it's easy to prepare.

Flay says he loves scallops. He's created a wonderful combination of taste and texture, coupled with just a little spice and tang, in his Red Chile Crusted Sea Scallop with Fava Beans and Smoked Bacon Dressing dish.

Flay demonstrates the recipe below on The Early Show.

Recipe

Red Chile Crusted Sea Scallop Salad with Fava Beans and Smoked Bacon Dressing
Serves 4

Fava Beans
1 1/2 pounds fava beans, shelled
salt

Prepare an ice water bath. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil, add the fava beans and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove the beans with a slotted spoon and place in the water bath for 30 seconds. Drain the beans and pop them out of their skin. Set aside.

Ingredients for Scallop Salad
1/4 cup ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
salt and freshly ground pepper
12 sea scallops, patted dry
3 tablespoons pure olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons crème fraiche
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/4 pound bacon, diced and cooked until golden brown
micro arugula

Combine ancho powder and cumin in a small bowl. Season scallops with salt and pepper on both sides and dredge one side of each scallop in the ancho mixture, tapping off any excess. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Place the scallops in the pan, rub-side down and cook until lightly golden brown and a crust has formed, about 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes. Turn the scallops over and cook for approximately 2 to 3 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove the scallops to a plate.

Add the vinegar to the sauté pan that you cooked the scallops in and using a wooden spoon, stir well, scraping up any of the fond that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the crème fraiche until smooth and then add the fava beans and cook until the beans are just heated through. Stir in the cilantro and the bacon and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place three scallops on each plate. Spoon the fava bean mixture around the scallops. Toss the arugula with a splash of vinegar and oil and season with salt and pepper. Place a small handful of the arugula on top of the scallops and serve.