The Kitchn: These restaurant-quality bacon-wrapped scallops are ready in 30 minutes
Bacon-wrapped scallops may sound like an appetizer only served at fancy cocktail parties, but these two-ingredient surf-and-turf bites of crispy, salty bacon around briny, sweet scallops can be prepped and cooked in less than 30 minutes. With the help of a technique we also use in bacon-wrapped asparagus, these elegant-looking scallops can be served at your next dinner party or when you feel like splurging on a restaurant-quality dinner at home.
Choosing scallops
With so few ingredients in this recipe, focus on scallop quality here. Look for sea scallops rather than bay scallops, since bay scallops are too small and throw the bacon-scallop ratio off. Scallops can range in size, so if you find really large ones like U-10s (which means 10 scallops per pound), you can always buy fewer than the 16 scallops called for in this recipe to keep it more budget-friendly -- just know that you'll need one strip of bacon for every two scallops. Before wrapping them in bacon, check the scallops for the tough little side muscle that can still be attached and remove it first.
How to get crispy bacon
When I was figuring out the best way to make bacon-wrapped asparagus -- I needed the bacon to cook up crispy without overcooking the asparagus -- I discovered the microwave was my best friend. Microwaving the bacon slices first quickly renders out a lot of the fat so that once it goes into the oven, the bacon needs less time to brown and get crisp. The same principle applies here, and when it comes to the type of bacon, regular or thin-cut bacon is best -- not thick-cut.
How to wrap scallops in bacon
To wrap the scallops in bacon, start by cutting each slice of microwaved bacon in half lengthwise, as they're too wide on their own. After wrapping the scallop, it's up to you if you want to trim off the excess bacon if it's a bit too long. Secure the bacon with a toothpick so that it doesn't unravel during broiling.
Scallops cook quickly, especially under the broiler. To make sure the bacon doesn't burn and crisps up evenly, broil on the middle rack and rotate the baking sheet every few minutes so that all the scallops cook evenly. These scallops are simply seasoned with salt and pepper to let their sweet flavor shine, but you can also add an extra layer of flavor by brushing the bacon with maple syrup or honey before you wrap the scallops.
Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
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