Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops with Chili Basil Mango Dipping Sauce

Merry Happy, Everyone!

Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops with Chili Basil Mango Dipping Sauce, photo and recipe by me, Anna Vocino

OK folks. The holidays are in full swing. I don’t believe anyone has time to add a new recipe to their menu plans, but this one is so good I just had to post it. Maybe consider it for New Year’s Eve with a dirty martini?

I’m going to tune out for a little while (and finish this low carb Italian cookbook I need to turn in). Like a season finale of your favorite show, I wanted to leave you with a really yummy recipe that will keep you talking over the water cooler until I come back next year.

I served a lot of bacon wrapped scallops back in the 90s when I was working at the catering company. The decadence of it all never left my memory. I was missing this flavor, then thought a dipping sauce with a little heat would be perfect, and I’m happy to report, I’m correct! Tell that to my husband.

Bonus—if you’re giving up dairy in the new year, this recipe is completely dairy free. I feel like that should count for something!

The key to this recipe is to get the large diver’s sea scallops. As the bacon cooks around the scallop, it will keep the scallop from over cooking. I use thick cut bacon, but you can use any kind of bacon, just keep an eye on it in the oven so that it doesn’t burn.

One secret to the food world that I learned from Larry Olmstead’s book Real Food Fake Food is that most scallops are injected with water to plump them up before freezing. So when you cook them, they will release a ton of water. Even if you pat them dry after thawing, they will still wind up releasing a lot of water as you cook them. You make need to pour off the excess liquid from the baking sheet halfway through cooking, and this will ensure your bacon crisps up nicely.

XOXO and MERRY HAPPY, MY SWEET HUMANS!!

Anna

PS: As always, here’s the downloadable, printable version of this recipe.

BACON WRAPPED SEA SCALLOPS WITH CHILI BASIL MANGO DIPPING SAUCE

BACON WRAPPED SEA SCALLOPS

(Serves 2-3)

1 pound large diver’s scallops, fresh or thawed and patted dry

Salt and pepper

1 pound bacon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Wrap each scallop with bacon, secure with a toothpick. Lay flat on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in oven 20-25 minutes, or until bacon is done through. Remove from oven, drain on a paper towel lined plate for 5 minutes, then serve with Chili Basil Mango Dipping Sauce.

CHILI BASIL MANGO DIPPING SAUCE

(Yields 2 cups)

1/4 cup packed basil leaves, torn

1 mango, cored and cubed

1 14-ounce can full fat coconut cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne

Combine all ingredients in a Vitamix or similar blender until smooth. Serve as a dipping sauce alongside Bacon Wrapped Scallops, chicken or fish.