By Chef Jeremy Maclachlan

In the spirit of February Valentines, it is the perfect opportunity to talk about foods that go well together. All foods that go well together are because of the way your palate tastes food. Whenever I create a new dish I always make sure it is balanced: Does it have enough fat vs. acidity? The reason peanut butter and jelly pair so well is because the peanut butter is full of good fat and the jelly has sweetness balanced with acidity. These matches work because your palate gets cleansed with every bite and you are ready for more and more and more! Think about having a triple chocolate cake with no raspberry sauce, it gets heavy and weighs on your palate something fierce. For more on this subject, read my buddy Kathy's blog which dives into Matches Made in Heaven.

My favorite seafood pairing is bacon and scallops. The lean clean flavor of the scallop holds up nicely to the salty smoke of the bacon. This dish really makes my heart sing like when I come into my house and my boys yell "DADDY!" and run to the door greeting me with big hugs.

Seared Easter Scallops with Bacon Relish and Sauce Chimichurri

6 each easter scallops
salt and pepper for scallops
1/4 cup bacon relish, recipe follows
3 tablespoons chimichurri, recipe follows
chopped parsley for garnish

Sear the scallops to golden brown on either side.
Place the pancetta relish in 6 dots on the plate.
Top each scallop with the chimichurri sauce and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Bacon Relish

6 slices bacon chopped
1/8 cup white onion chopped
1/8 cup red pepper chopped
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

Place the bacon in a cold saute pan and cook until crisp.
Place the peppers and onions in the pan and cook until soft.
Add the chopped garlic and toast.
Add the cilantro and cider vinaigrette and keep at room temperature until serving.

Chimmichuri Sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 each jalapeno pepper, de-seeded
1 bunch cilantro
1 each green onion
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup canola oil
salt to taste

In a blender place the red wine vinegar, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, honey and green onion. Blend on high until fully chopped.
Drizzle in the canola oil and finish with salt to taste.

(Author of Kitchen Talk, Jeremy McLachlan is also Corporate Chef for Salty's Seafood Grill restaurant group. He says: My love is to create great dishes with fresh seafood, as we are a seafood restaurant, but not forget the meat lovers. My goal is to match exceptional food with our incredible views. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we are fortunate to have an abundance of regional treasures. The use of these fresh ingredients is key to Salty's Northwest cuisine. If you have any questions about cooking, feel free to email me at chef@saltys.com.)