As far as seafood is concerned, both my wife and I are relative novices to the ocean's offerings. Neither of us care for the 'fishy' taste that some (most?) seafood has, but life has to be more than fish and chips or a tomato-based shrimp cocktail, right? Early last year I introduced her to scallops...nothing fancy, just a scampi-version, and she loved it. This past week we took our love of scallops to the next level by adding a curry/cayenne spice rub to the mix and then wrapping the whole thing in bacon.
A word of caution, when you are at the 'final broiler phase', DO NOT walk away. Be ready to pull your tastey morsels from the oven at a moment's notice. Wooden toothpicks, olive oil,bacon grease and an open broiler flame require attention!
Software:
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ tsp olive oil
3 thick-cut bacon slices
6 large sea scallops {tough ligament should be removed from side of each as necessary}
Hardware:
6 wooden toothpicks
1 medium baking sheet pan
1 oven-proof cooling rack {must fit in the sheet pan}
Metal tongs
Preparation –
1. Place oven rack in highest position or to about 4-6” from broiler burner.
2. Stir together brown sugar, curry powder, and cayenne in a bowl until well combined. Place spice mixture in plastic ‘zip-lock’ bag.
3. Wash scallops and lightly pat dry with paper towels.
4. Drizzle oil on scallops and then ‘massage’ scallops to evenly distribute the oil. Rest the scallops for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add scallops to the zip-lock bag and remove excess air. Toss scallops in bag to evenly distribute the spice mixture.
6. Preheat broiler (keep the door cracked open).
7. Place bacon strips flat on cooling rack and then place cooling rack into sheet pan. {Do not foil the sheet pan. It will cause the bacon to overcook. I apologize in advance for the extra clean up step.}
8. Place under broiler for 1-3 minutes or until some fat has rendered and edges begin to brown but bacon is still flexible.
9. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain and slightly cool. {1-2 minutes maximum}
10. Cut bacon slices in half so that each slice is approx. 4” long.
11. Remove scallops from spice mixture bag and shake off excess spices.
12. Wrap bacon around scallop and secure with toothpick.
13. Place scallops back on cooling rack in sheet pan. {Again. do not foil the sheet pan} and broil scallops 3 minutes, turning over once, and then broil an additional 3 minutes or until bacon is browned and scallops are opaque. Serve immediately.
Presentation –
My presentation {see above} was to alternate the scallops with olive and feta Crostini but since the color of this dish is so warm, perhaps a bed of baby arugula?
