Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Serves

15 minutes

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

["1. Cook your bacon in a baking dish at 400 degrees just for five minutes so the bacon isn’t fully cooked. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel and allow it to cool until you can handle it. ","2. While the bacon cools pat the scallops dry and season lightly with salt and pepper and then wrap each scallop tightly with a piece of halfway cooked bacon and secure with a wooden toothpick. ","3. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and allow it to heat slightly. Add the scallops to the skillet and sear for 4-6 minutes on each side.","4. Baste the scallops a few times with the bacon infused olive oil and serve immediately with fresh lemon juice and wedges. "]

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These bacon wrapped scallops are so easy to make and don’t take a lot of time to prep. My favorite way to serve these are as an appetizer. I love using SOCC bacon olive oil to baste and sear them in. Add some fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice and serve. Depending on the occasion, I may or may not leave the toothpicks in for easy grabbing.

You can also turn these scallops into a main course, maybe paired with a baked potato, rice, crispy Brussel sprouts, or any other sides you choose.

You can also add them to a salad for some extra and delicious protein!

So how do you choose the perfect scallops? Below are some tips when picking out your seafood.

Look for large sea scallops. Bay scallops are just too small for this recipe – they are typically used in soups and stews.
Buy dry packed scallops. Some sea scallops will be packed in a liquid – avoid those, as they have too much moisture, which prevents the scallops from searing properly.
Fresh sea scallops. If you have access to fresh, just-caught sea scallops, let me just say – lucky you! Plan to cook them within 24 hours of purchasing. Fresh scallops should have a briny, fresh saltwater smell to them. If they smell “fishy” or otherwise “off”, or have a slimy feel to them, they’ve likely gone bad. I recommend buying fresh scallops no more than a day in advance, as they tend to spoil quickly.
Frozen sea scallops are also great! For me, living in New York, my best choice is frozen sea scallops – and they’re still awesome delicious. Thaw the frozen scallops completely and use a paper towel to remove excess liquid before beginning the recipe.

Products used: Bacon Olive Oil

Ingredients

12 slices of bacon (Try to avoid thick-cut bacon.)
12 large sea scallops
4 tablespoons SOCC Bacon olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh lemon juice and wedges to serve with.