Father's Day is fast approaching. Why not make your dad a special meal?
George Brown College alumnus and barbecue expert Chef Ted Reader came back to the college for a Trending Now Dinner at The Chefs' House in May 2015.
Here's Reader's recipe for his bacon-wrapped stuffed scallops with a honey orange glaze from his cookbook Gastro Grilling.
Fire up the grill and enjoy!
Notes from the Chef
When buying scallops, look for fresh diver scallops that are plump and sweet-smelling; fresh is always best when available. I like to use a larger scallop for this dish, as it allows you to have more salmon and shrimp stuffing. Plump and thick will do the trick! Makes 8.
What You Need
- Cookie sheet lined with parchment or plastic wrap
- Food processor
- 8 toothpicks
- 8 slices smoked bacon
- 8 fresh jumbo scallops, U10 size, trimmed of muscle
Honey Orange Glaze
- 1 orange
- ¼ cup (60 mL) honey
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) mirin
- 1 tsp (5 mL) chopped fresh thyme
- ½ tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- Sea salt to taste
- 4 oz (115 g) fresh salmon, boneless and skinless
Other ingredients
- 4 oz (115 g) fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) heavy cream
- 1 tsp (5 mL) tapioca starch
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch + 1 tsp (5 mL) Bone Dust BBQ Spice
Method
Fry the bacon over medium to medium-low heat until it is just starting to get crispy, about halfway done. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
Rinse the scallops, drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Place the scallops on prepared cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to get the scallops very cold.
Remove scallops from the freezer and slice each of them in half. Place in the refrigerator.
Zest the orange and squeeze its juice into a bowl. You will need about ¼ cup (60 mL) of juice for the Honey Orange Glaze. Add the honey, mirin, thyme, black pepper and green onion. Season to taste with a little bit of sea salt. Set aside.
Cut the salmon into 2.5 centimetre (one-inch) chunks and coarsely chop the shrimp. Place the salmon and half of the shrimp into a food processor. Add the cream, tapioca starch, salt and a pinch of Bone Dust BBQ Spice. Pulse until smooth, about 30 seconds to a minute. Transfer salmon and shrimp purée to a bowl. Add remaining chopped shrimp and mix well. Mixture should be sticky and look chunky.
Spread approximately 28 grams (one ounce) of salmon shrimp mix onto one side of a cut scallop, making it uniform in thickness. Next, take another scallop and place it on top of the salmon shrimp mix, similar to assembling a burger. Repeat with remaining scallops and salmon and shrimp mixture. Return to the refrigerator and allow to rest for at least one hour.
Using the 1 tsp (5 mL) Bone Dust BBQ Spice, sprinkle the scallops. Wrap each scallop tightly with a slice of partially cooked bacon. Secure each with a toothpick.
Fire up your grill to 450-550°F (230-290°C).
Grill scallops, over direct heat with the lid open, for 4-5 minutes. Turn scallops over and baste with Honey Orange Glaze. Continue to cook for approximately 4-5 minutes, basting a few more times until the scallops are just cooked through and the bacon is crisp. Remove from grill. Remove toothpick and serve immediately. Drizzle with extra Honey Orange Glaze.
