Maple Bacon Butter Seared Scallops is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and a hint of spice. These scallops were seared into submission and bathed in this savory sweet butter. Serve with your favorite roasted squash and a wilted spinach salad for the perfect Fall dinner.
Seared scallops never go out of style and they look so elegant on the dinner table. Scallops take mere minutes to cook up, but you want that nice golden crust on the outside. This is achieved with a screaming hot cast iron pan. Scallops carry a lot of water so always pat them dry before searing.
The butter sauce is so simple and it comes together in minutes. This whole meal from start to finish only takes 20 minutes. And I’m being generous and leaning towards 20 minutes. But if you have all your “Mise en Place” {everything is in it’s place} ready to go, it’ll be so quick.
Use good thick cut bacon, I used a peppered bacon because I love adding a subtle kick of pepper to the dish but a hickory smoked is suggested. Speaking of spice I snuck in just a pinch of cayenne, I think it actually gives this dish the kick it needs without being over the top spicy. It balances the sweetness of the maple.
Wine Pairing Recommendation: I know you expect me to pair this dish with a white wine, but I’m full of surprises, and this is a job for Pinot Noir. Specifically California Pinot Noir, look for Monterey County or Russian River. You always want to wine pair with the sauce instead of the protein. And a pinot will be perfect to compliment the sweet/salty/smokey mixture we got going on in this.
Maple Bacon Butter Seared Scallops
When buying scallops look for 'dry packed scallops'. If it's in liquid it's likely a preservative and it'll be more difficult to get a nice golden sear. Serve this with roasted butternut squash and a wilted spinach salad for a whole and delicious meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Large Sea Scallops, foot removed
- Kosher Salt, for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 6 slices Thick Cut Bacon, sliced into lardons
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- Fresh Thyme Leaves, for garnish
- Chives, chopped for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 In a large cast iron skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Thoroughly pat scallops dry and season with kosher salt. Sear scallops in the pan until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Turn scallops and cook for 1 more minute. Remove to a plate.
- Step 2 Add bacon to the pan and stir to cook. Allow bacon to crisp slightly, about 4-5 minutes. Remove bacon to a plate and drain the fat.
- Step 3 Turn heat to medium low and add the butter to the pan. Stir butter over heat until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add maple syrup, cayenne and bacon. Stir to combine. Season sauce with a pinch of kosher salt.
- Step 4 Add the scallops back to the pan and spoon sauce over scallops until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Step 5 Garnish with thyme leaves and chopped chives. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Savor and Enjoy!
Wow, these are amazing! So much easier than wrapping the scallops in bacon and so tasty! We had some rib steak with ours as well as tricolour pasta with a pesto sauce. When I dipped a bit of steak in the maple sauce it was a match made in heaven!