BACON WRAPPED SCALLOPS

These bacon wrapped scallops are jumbo scallops coated in a sweet and savory glaze, then broiled to perfection. A simple yet elegant appetizer or main course option that is sure to get rave reviews!

Everything is better with bacon, I always find myself making bacon wrapped chicken and bacon wrapped asparagus for dinner. Scallops are delicious on their own, but when you cover them in bacon you end up with decadent little bites that are perfect for any occasion.

I’d be a little embarrassed to tell you how many times we’ve had scallops wrapped in bacon for dinner over the past couple of weeks. I wanted them to be just perfect before posting the recipe and it was harder than I thought! I wanted the scallops to be tender like they are when you sear them and have the bacon cooked just right. And I wanted them to bake in the oven, preferably without catching anything on fire.

I’ll explain.

The first two times I made these bacon wrapped scallops, I tried to broil them as this recipe calls for. After the spattering grease and smoke that billowed from my oven on the first try, I decided to move the pan a little further from the broiling element for the second try. Same problem.

Next I tried baking them at a higher temperature and finishing them under the broiler. Same spatter and smoke problem and the scallops were tough. And speaking of tough, I saw one recipe that called for baking them for 35(!!!) minutes at 425°F, which I can only imagine would turn a scallop into something like a rubber disc.


HOW TO BUY SCALLOPS

You want to use the larger sea scallops for this recipe, not the small bay scallops. Look for scallops that are uniform in size and color and smell fresh – they shouldn’t have an overly fishy aroma. You can often find fresh scallops at the seafood counter of your local grocery store. Frozen scallops work well too, just make sure they’re completely thawed and patted dry before you use them.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 strips bacon, *approximately - used 1/2 slice of bacon for each scallop.
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 lb scallops
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pepper, fresh cracked
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ginger

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pat scallops dry with a paper towel. 
2. In a large pan, start to crisp bacon. Cook bacon until golden brown - but still soft and pliable. 
3. In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper, and garlic and then sprinkle generously over scallops. 
4. Wrap each scallop with 1/2 bacon strip and secure by pushing a toothpick through the bacon and scallop. 
5. In another small bowl, mix brown sugar and ginger. 
6. Sprinkle brown sugar and ginger mixture all over scallop, but reserve much of the sugar and gigner to sprinkle after the scallops flip once. 
7. Heat butter in large pan until foamy and melted. 
8. Add scallops to pan and cook on medium high heat. Flip after 5-6 minutes, sprinkle with more sugar and ginger, and continue repeating steps until scallops are cooked. 
9. Serve immediately. 

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