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["In a cold medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium low heat, until the fat renders out and the bacon becomes crisp in its own grease. Be patient - it will take a while. If you find that your bacon is starting to burn on the outside, you can add a splash of water to help facilitate the rendering process.", "Remove the bacon (keep the fat!) and add the leeks and shallots and two tablespoons of the butter. Season with salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Sweat them over medium-low heat until they are soft and translucent, approximately 10-15 minutes. There should be a soft, melodic sizzle versus the loud hiss of a saute.", "Now it's time to toast the rice: boost your heat to medium, and add the arborio rice. Let it toast for 5-6 minutes (feel free to add more butter or olive oil if it looks dry). They should have a shiny slick from the fat, and begin to become gold around the edges. Add the white wine : you'll see it hit the pan in a big puff of steam as it sizzles from the heat. This is when you start stirring - You don't necessarily have to be stirring it every second risotto is on the stove, but it should be given a mix frequently.", "Once the wine has been absorbed (it's pretty obvious, but a good indicator is that you'll be able to see the bottom of the pan as you stir), it's time to start adding stock in stages. Add enough of the warm stock to the point where you can see it bubbling around the rice (you don't want to drown it - no more than a cup at a time should be perfect), and repeat the process of stirring until it's been absorbed. Repeat this process over the next 15-20 minutes, until the rice is just shy of al dente - there really should be a considerable bite to each grain (but not enough for it to feel chalky). You should just barely be able to see the small core of opaque white. At this point add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, parmesan, peas, arugula, and the white miso. Once added, stir the pan vigorously to emulsify the risotto and to make it creamy. You may need to add a touch more stock to make it flow slowly like lava.", "When your risotto is five minutes out from being plated, heat a heavy bottomed pan (I like cast iron, but stainless steel also works) on high heat until you can begin to see it smoke. Pat your scallops dry and season with salt. Add enough oil to create a thin layer in the pan, and gently place in the scallops- I like to slowly lay the scallop down from one edge to the other to make sure the entire surface is in proper contact with the hot oil. Let it sit there for 2-3 minutes without moving it. If you start to see the golden crust start to creep up the sides of the scallop, it's a good time to start checking your sear. If it looks good, flip your scallop and ""kiss"" the other side for 20-30 seconds (if we tried to sear both sides, the scallop would overcook - better to have an awesome sear and a perfectly cooked scallop versus a dried piece of tire). Blot the scallop of any excess oil before placing it on top of the risotto.", "Serve in warm bowls - you spent all this time making risotto, so don't do a disservice to yourself by putting it a cold bowl. Top with a seared scallop and extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately, as the texture stiffens as it cools.
