Grilled Bacon Wrapped Scallops with a Chipotle Hollandaise Sauce

Did we ever explain how much we love seafood around here? If we haven't  yet you likely have figured it out. But let us just be fully transparent about this fact: WE CAN'T GET ENOUGH SEAFOOD ON OUR TABLE.

And scallops are one of the tastiest of our favorite seafood choices. This dish was inspired by one of my dad's favorite starters. My dad couldn't get enough bacon wrapped scallops with cocktail sauce. An appetizer I happily prepared for him every year during our family vacations to Chelan (these and deviled eggs also became a traditional dad treat.)

We love scallops prepared simply this way too but I was trying to think of a more "main" dish preparation based on this idea. And I thought of our now favorite breakfast dish: Poached eggs, avocado, bacon with a chipotle hollandaise first inspired by The Foodie Bride. Love The Foodie Bride one day I hope my photos get just almost as good as hers and will never forget our favorite breakfasts was inspired by her blog.

So I thought why not leave out the bread and eggs  and use the bacon to wrap around the scallops. I knew sliced avocado would make the perfect bed for the scallops and we can never get enough of this chipotle hollandaise sauce. And voila emerged this fantastic main dish made out some of favorite flavors.

I first par-cooked the bacon in the oven, then wrapped the bacon around the scallops before grilling them outside on the Weber.

It was quite simple and really the hollandaise sauce comes together perfectly every time. It was a great meal served with a crisp Columbia Chardonnay. 

Recipe:

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Scallops with a Chipotle Hollandaise Sauce:

8 large sea scallops 

8 pieces of bacon

1 large avocado

salt & pepper

2 egg yolks

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Pinch of Salt

1 chipotle + 1 Tbsp adobo sauce (from canned chipotles in adobo)

1 stick of butter, melted

Cilantro for garnish

Par cook bacon in a 450 degree oven until partially cooked (not crisp.) Drain bacon on paper towels. Season Scallops with salt & pepper. Wrap bacon around scallops, secure with a toothpick. Grill scallops until cooked through (approximately 5-8 minutes depending on size of scallops.) Slice avocado. Stack sliced avocado divided onto two plates. Place grilled scallops on top of sliced avocado.

Place egg yolks, lemon, salt, chipotle and adobo sauce in the blender.Blend for 30 seconds before streaming in the melted butter. Serve immediately over scallops.Garnish with cilantro.