Sweet sea scallops meet salty pork for the ultimate coastal surf and turf.
Everything tastes better with bacon, and it doesn’t get any better than grilled fresh sea scallops wrapped in bacon. Even better is brushing them with a sweet bourbon sauce on an open flame and serving them over cool, creamy slaw — it’s the ultimate summertime meal on the coast with friends.
Scallops are one of my most favorite types of seafood, and they are really easy to grill, as long as you don’t overcook them; otherwise, they get tough and rubbery. The key to this recipe is lightly grilling the bacon first so you are still able to wrap it around the scallop and let it get crispy as it finishes cooking.
It doesn’t matter what type of scallop you use, as long as they are not bay scallops — those are too tiny. You want your scallops large enough to wrap the bacon around and get onto a skewer. I prefer the dry-packed sea scallops, but you can use frozen sea scallops, too, if you thaw them out first.
I created this recipe when my spouse and I were supposed to go to the Beer Bourbon BBQ Festival with another couple. That event was cancelled due to COVID so we all decided to come to our home and grill out. Being on the coast, we wanted seafood and decided on scallops. Keeping with the theme, we elected to grill them with a bourbon sauce. You can certainly broil or bake these, but it was more fun to have a beer with our friends while they were grilling.
The slaw is a simple creamy recipe that goes perfectly with warm, savory scallops. I set our outdoor table with summery plates, and the scallops, served right off the grill, were a hit.
This recipe is larger than an appetizer size but not quite a full meal. It’s more similar to a small plate or tapas portion. I hope you enjoy it!
| Servings | People |
- 1 pound sea scallops (12 large)
- 6 slices bacon halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 4 skewers (If you use wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 15 to 20 minutes first.)
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup shredded sweet onion
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon dry mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients For the Scallops
For the Slaw
| |
- Preheat the grill.
- Place bacon on a piece of aluminum foil. Grill until soft and just beginning to brown. Remove to cool.
- Wrap each scallop with a piece of bacon and secure onto a skewer. You should be able to fit three bacon-wrapped scallops per skewer.
- In a small bowl mix the olive oil, bourbon, honey and balsamic vinegar.
- Place skewers on a very hot grill, brushing each skewer with the bourbon mixture.
- Brown first side (3 to 4 minutes). Flip and brown second side, brushing with the bourbon mixture until scallops are opaque and inside measure 130°F on an instant thermometer.
- Serve the warm scallop skewers over the cool slaw and enjoy!
- In a bowl mix all of the ingredients. Cover and set in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
