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FM Recipes: Ultimate Bacon Wrapped Scallops Appetizer

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of 10/20 Fresh Sea Scallops
  • Garlic Powder
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Black Pepper

How To Prepare:

  1. Cut your bacon strips into 4-5" pieces and lay each piece out on a cookie sheet or aluminum container. It may behoove you to cover your cookie sheet in aluminum foil or just use a disposal aluminum container.
  2. Lightly season the bacon with cayenne pepper, black pepper and garlic powder.
  3. Place bacon in oven and broil on high for 6-8 minutes or until the bacon gets a nice brownish color and begins to cook slightly.
  4. Meanwhile, rinse off your fresh sea scallops lightly with water and dab each one lightly with a paper towel to remove any excess water.
  5. Tear off the "sweet meats" off of each scallop for a more presentable final product. See the pictures above to understand what the "sweet meat" is and how it comes off of the scallop. This piece is what attaches to the scallop shell and gets cut away. Some of your scallops may not have one as it may have already been removed.
  6. Remove your bacon from the oven and wrap each piece around one scallop. From there, put a toothpick or skewer through the middle of the scallop and both ends of the piece of bacon to lock it in place. Try not to do more than 4 or 5 scallops on one skewer if using a skewer as they will tend to stick together when cooked.
  7. Place your finished skewers or toothpick bacon-wrapped scallops back in the pan and leave the bacon grease as a natural non-sticking element. Sprinkle a little more black pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder on the scallops for extra flavor.
  8. Set your oven to 425 degrees F and place your pan into the oven for 15 minutes to allow the scallops to cook.
  9. After 15 minutes of baking, set your oven back to broil and broil your scallops for an additional 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye on them as some ovens broil faster than others and you do not want to burn the bacon or overcook the scallops. Over-cooked scallops will feel rubbery so poking one of your scallops with your fingertip can tell you if the scallop is nearing completion. You do not want them to feel rubbery.
  10. Finally, set down a good padding of paper towels on a plate and place your skewers on the paper towels to remove any excess grease. Serve and enjoy!

OPTIONAL TIP: Many people enjoy adding a touch of maple syrup or using maple syrup as a dipping sauce to give that delicious sweet and salty taste. If you are trying to stick to a keto diet there are low-carb alternatives to maple syrup since this recipe is keto-friendly unless using sugary maple syrup.

FUN FACT: The scientific name for sea scallops is Placopecten magellanicus.