Why is this a cheat? When you look up bacon wrapped scallops recipe everyone of them I found involved putting the scallops in the oven to crisp the bacon. Well I don't know about you, but crisping the bacon at the expense of the scallops (potentially overcooking them) did not sound cool. Scallops are far more expensive and delicate than bacon! I came up with this weirdo backwards way to make bacon wrapped scallops.
I used jumbo frozen sea scallops. Has to be sea, bay scallops are teeny!
Get your scallops defrosting while you prepare the bacon. You MUST defrost seafood in icy cold water. I know that sounds counter intuitive, but it will preserve the fresh flavor and keep it totally uncooked. Additionally, warm water can cause any bacteria that is on the seafood to grow. Though you are going to cook the seafood, potentially killing the bacteria, you aren't going to cook it enough to really be sure. Fish and seafood are more delicate and are best when not quite cooked through. It's just better to keep it fresh and tasty by using very cold water, believe me. It also helps to cycle the water out by running more through the defrosting seafood every once in a while.
On to the bacon! I had this applewood smoked already on hand.
Sorry Pinterest, oven bacon is NOT good. It's quite a poor way to cook it and I do not recommend it at all. Arrange your bacon in an unheated pan, bring it up to medium or medium low. Flip the bacon periodically, moving the outside pieces into the center to make sure they all cook evenly. Do not use a lid since condensation collects and can make the bacon steam instead of fry. Use a screen cover to protect you and your stove from splatter. However if you are cooking it correctly on a lower temp there should not be much splatter. For this application we will not be cooking the bacon until it's crispy. Leave it at a semi-floppy state. I don't know how long this takes as I always do it by sight!
When the bacon is done but still soft, remove it and arrange it into circles. This way when it cools, if it stiffens, you won't break it when wrapping your scallops. Swirl the bacon grease around the pan then pour off the excess. Turn the heat up to med-high. This is where you will need your splatter screen the most!
Remove defrosted scallops from the water and dry them. Try to get them as dry as you can. Wrap the bacon pieces around each scallop, making sure the bacon won't hold the scallop away from the pan. They should be pretty flush so you can sear the scallop. Use a toothpick to secure the bacon around it. Place the scallops in the hot pan for 1 minute per side, maximum of 2 minutes per side. NO MORE THAN THAT. Be careful when putting them in the pan, use long tongs and your splatter screen because they will sizzle! Scallops should be buttery soft when done. If they are firm or dry you over cooked them.
I left a little too much bacon grease in the pan so these didn't get a crust like I really wanted, but they were still soooo good. They pair well with the Apartment Steak which you can cook simultaneously in the same pan!
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