How to Make Bacon Wrapped Scallops

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29-09-2016, 04:35
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Bacon-wrapped scallops are a complex combination of salty and sweet as well as juicy and crisp. While the taste and texture are complex, the preparation is simple. It takes only a few simple ingredients and a little effort to cook bacon-wrapped scallops.

Prepping the Scallops

  1. Choose your scallops. You want large scallops which are nice and white. They shouldn’t be too wet or too dry. Look for a uniform shape, as opposed to scallops that look shredded and destroyed These are signs that they have been mishandled.
    • Most are wet-packed, but dry-packed and diver-caught scallops are higher quality. Any of these will work.
    • Avoid using frozen scallops for this recipe.
  2. Rinse the scallops. Hold the scallops under cool, running water for a few seconds. Set them on a paper towel. Place another paper towel on top of the scallops and pat them dry.
  3. Remove the muscle. Often times, the scallops you purchase will already have the muscle removed. If your scallops still have the muscle attached, pull it off. Grasp it between your thumb and forefinger and tear it away.
    • The muscle is a rectangular tab attached to the body of the scallop.
    • The muscle is tougher than the rest of the scallop, making it less desirable to eat.

Wrapping the Scallops

  1. Cut the bacon strips in half. Lie the bacon strips on a cutting board. Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut the strips in half so that the strips are half their original length. This way the bacon will wrap around the scallop more evenly with less overlap.
  2. Wrap the bacon around the scallop. Place one end of the strip of bacon on the side of the scallop. Wrap the bacon all the way around the side of the scallop until the ends of the strip of bacon overlap.
    • For crispier bacon, partially cook the bacon before wrapping the scallops. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet in parchment paper and lay the strips of bacon out on the paper. Cook the bacon for 12-15 minutes until it starts to become golden brown. Don't cook it so long that it begins to get crisp and lose its flexibility.
  3. Secure the bacon with a toothpick. Thread a toothpick into the outer, loose end of the bacon strip. Push it into the scallop, then thread the toothpick back out through the overlapped end of the strip of bacon. This will keep the bacon wrapped around the scallop and secured to it so it won’t come apart or slip off.
    • You can also cook up to 5 scallops on one skewer. In this case, use the skewer to secure the bacon to the scallops by pushing the point through the overlapped bacon, into the scallop and out through the other side of the wrapped scallop. Push the scallop down from the pointed end toward the handle of the skewer and repeat the process, stacking the scallops until the skewer is full.

Broiling Bacon Wrapped Scallops

  1. Preheat the broiler. The most common way to cook bacon-wrapped scallops is to broil them. Place the oven rack 6 inches from the source of heat. Set the oven to broil and allow it to preheat.
  2. Season your scallops. The basic recipe for bacon-wrapped scallops is very simple. Toss the wrapped scallops in melted butter and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
    • You can use olive oil in place of butter.
    • Teriyaki sauce is a common variation to the simple butter recipe. Combine 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and 3 tablespoons of minced ginger in a bowl. Toss the wrapped scallops in the mixture.
  3. Broil the scallops for 10-15 minutes. Line the scallops on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on the oven rack and allow the scallops to broil for 10-15 minutes until the bacon is cooked completely through.
    • Flip the scallops half way through the cook time. Remove the baking sheet using an oven mitt and flip the scallops using tongs, then replace the scallops and finish broiling them.

Grilling Bacon Wrapped Scallops

  1. Saturate your skewers. When you are cooking your scallops over an open flame, soak the toothpicks or skewers for 30 minutes before using them. The saturation keeps them from catching fire.
  2. Prepare the grill. Light the grill and heat it to a medium-high setting. Brush the grate with a light coat of butter so the scallops don't stick. Once the grill is hot, brush the grate with a light coating of oil to keep the scallops from sticking.
  3. Grill the scallops. Spread the bacon wrapped scallops evenly across the grill. Cook them until the scallops have just cooked all the way through. This should take about 7 minutes. Flip the scallops often during the grilling process so that they cook evenly and don't burn.
    • You can tell the scallops are finished when you see them change from translucent to opaque.
    • Cut a scallop open to check if it is finished.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (450g) large scallops
  • 1/2 the number strips of bacon per number of scallops
  • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Toothpicks or skewers

Tips

  • You can use shrimp instead of scallops.

Things You'll Need

  • Small bowl
  • Broiler pan (grill pan)
  • Toothpicks or a skewer
  • Seasoning to taste
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