Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops Breen

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops must be one of the most luxurious appetizers that you can serve, not to mention one of the easiest to prepare, and that’s a great combination. My friend Anne-Marie makes these fabulous plump and juicy appetizers once a year, which is a treat, but not as often as we'd wish! Because there are only two main ingredients used in this dish, it's important to use the best quality you can get — the biggest, freshest sea scallops and the most flavourful bacon. This protein-rich appetizer is perfect for entertaining: they're simple to prepare and easy to cook. The scallops can be wrapped in advance, refrigerated until just before guests arrive, then popped into the oven for about half an hour at 375°F until done. Anne-Marie's secret is nestling the bacon-wrapped scallops in a small muffin pan, rather than on a flat baking sheet, which keeps all the flavours mingled together, makes the scallops magnificently moist and the bacon wonderfully crispy. The aroma as they cook is also absolutely mouth watering! Anne-Marie paired these little darlings with a rich and creamy chipotle mayonnaise, which was over the top but totally delicious.




Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops Breen
Makes 12

12 seas scallops
6 slices naturally smoked maple-cured bacon, cut in half
Salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, to taste
Chipotle mayonnaise, optional


Preheat oven to 375°F. Wrap each scallop with half a slice of bacon, and place snuggly in each muffin cup. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the scallops, until the bacon is crisp and the scallops are just cooked trough — Anne-Marie cooked them for 40 minutes and they were perfect, but the scallops were enormous. To serve, secure each bacon-wrapped scallop with flat bamboo hors d'oeuvre picks, and arrange on a decorative serving platter with a bowl of chipotle mayonnaise on the side for dipping.