I was raised on bacon wrapped water chestnuts and bacon wrapped scallops. Mother always served them when she entertained, which was quite often. I learned to love anything wrapped in bacon, and these bite size goodies are protein packed and hit the spot. This is a recipe that George and Ann Hartley learned while at the Viking Cooking School in Destin. The Hartley’s are the owners of La Cocina in Rosemary Beach, George’s in Alys Beach, The Seagrove Village Market and part owners in the V Seagrove and Hotel Viridian. All of the restaurants serve the highest quality local ingredients and have amazing talent in their kitchens. I would highly recommend each of the restaurants, and that you try this recipe.

Ingredients:

Apricot Sauce:

• 3 tbsp prepared horseradish
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Scallops:

• 8 slices thin cut bacon
• 8 jumbo sea scallops (U10), side tendons removed
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Micro-greens for garnish
• Lemon wedges for garnish

Preparation:

1. For the Apricot sauce: Wrap the horseradish in a square of cheesecloth that has been folded, doubled, and dampened; squeeze to remove all of the liquid.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the preserves, drained horseradish, dry mustard, red pepper flakes and lemon juice. Allow to set at room temperature for at least 30 mins prior to serving.
3. For the Scallops: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Arrange the strips of bacon side by side on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cook until the fat has partially rendered and the bacon appears to be about 3/4 cooked through, about 15 minutes. (Note: Do not brown; the bacon must be pliable for wrapping around the scallops.) Transfer to a paper towel-lined platter and set aside until needed.
4. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Wrap a slice of par-cooked bacon evenly around the scallop. Thread 2 scallops onto a skewer, passing the skewer through the bacon to hold it firmly on the scallops. (Note: Leave a small amount of space between the scallops to ensure even cooking.)
5. Pour the butter into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; place the skewers in the dish, and turn to coat with the butter. Season with a sprinkling of salt and a good bit of cracked pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until the bacon is crisp and the scallops are opaque, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven.
6. Spoon to small mounds of Apricot Sauce (about 2 tsp each) onto warmed salad plates; place 1 of the scallops on top of each mound of sauce. Serve garnished with micro-greens and/or lemon wedges.