Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Ingredients:

1 lb of scallops

9 pieces of bacon

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

toothpicks (one per scallop)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Serves 5

This easy recipe is a treat for anyone who loves seafood. It can be made in as little as 20 minutes and is great as a passed hors d'oeuvre.

When buying scallops, you will find that they have already been stripped from their shells ( in most cases). Look for scallops that have a creamy color and firm texture, with very little aroma and almost no liquid in the packaging. You may need to remove what is known as the beard, or the connective tissue that at one point held the scallop to its shell.

To get started with this recipe, lightly cook half of the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook each piece of bacon for about 2 minutes on each side, or until just barely crisp. Be careful not to completely cook the bacon, as it will have plenty of time to finish crisping in the oven. Remove from the pan and let drain and cool on a bed of paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the bacon. This works well with both regular and turkey bacon.

Once cool, place the bacon on a cutting board and slice each piece evenly in half. Then wrap one piece around each scallop, and secure with a toothpick.

Grease a baking sheet with olive oil, and bake in a 425 degree oven until scallops are opaque and the bacon is crisp. This should take 12-14 minutes.

Remove from the baking sheet and place on a serving dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and one tablespoon lemon juice. Serve with extra lemon as a garnish, and enjoy!