Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
Sweet sea scallops wrapped in smoky bacon and broiled until caramelized
- 16large sea scallops(dry-packed, U-10 size)
- 8 slicesbacon(thin-cut)
- 2 tbspbutter(melted)
- 1 tbspfresh lemon juice
- 1 tbspfresh chives(minced)
- freshly ground black pepper
- 16toothpicks(soaked in water)
Wrap scallops ahead and refrigerate up to 4 hours. Broil just before serving.
- 1Preheat broiler and position rack 6 inches from heat
- 2Par-cook bacon in skillet until starting to render but still pliable
- 3Cut each bacon slice in half
- 4Pat scallops completely dry
- 5Wrap each scallop with bacon half, secure with toothpick
- 6Arrange on broiler pan
- 7Broil 3-4 minutes per side until bacon is crispy and scallops are just cooked
- 8Mix melted butter with lemon juice
- 9Drizzle over scallops and sprinkle with chives and pepper
- 10Serve immediately
Dry-packed scallops are essential - wet-packed won't caramelize. Par-cooking bacon prevents raw bacon with overcooked scallops. Don't overcook - scallops should be barely opaque in center. Thin-cut bacon crisps faster. Remove toothpicks or warn guests before serving.
Bacon-wrapped scallops represent the intersection of two very different food traditions that found perfect compatibility in mid-20th-century American entertaining. The sea scallop (Argopecten irradians and Placopecten magellanicus) is native to the Atlantic coast of North America and has been harvested in New England and the Mid-Atlantic since colonial times; commercial scallop fishing became established in New England in the 19th century. Bacon as a culinary wrapping material — using the fat and smoke of cured pork to enrich a leaner protein — is a technique with deep roots in French larding and barding traditions, where fat was threaded through or wrapped around lean meats before roasting to prevent drying and add flavor. American cooks adopted the wrapping technique enthusiastically in the mid-20th century as cocktail party culture demanded elegant, single-bite proteins that could be passed on platters. "Angels on horseback" — oysters wrapped in bacon — appeared in British and American recipes from the 1880s; scallops in bacon became the American variation that succeeded it by the 1950s. The key technical challenge of the preparation — cooking the bacon fully without overcooking the delicate scallop — is what gives the dish its reputation for requiring real attention and skill.