While we’re all still somewhat in the party mood (Twelfth Night gatherings are quite common in Maine), here are a couple of stylish and utterly delicious shellfish hors d’oeuvres that can be assembled ahead and cooked at the last minute.
SCALLOPS WRAPPED IN BACON
It’s scallop season, and I think these meaty beauties are an ideal hors d’oeuvre. Their rich taste (and their price) combine to make them a perfect one-bite treat. The scallops I’ve been getting are so large that they can be cut in half before receiving their bacon wrap, but if the ones you get are smaller, just leave them intact.
Makes about 30 pieces
1 pound large sea scallops
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound thin-sliced bacon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Half a lemon, cut in wedges
Remove side hinge from scallops and cut the scallop in half around circumference. Combine oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add scallops, stir to coat, and refrigerate while the bacon cooks.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the bacon in half crosswise, peel slices apart, and arrange in a single layer on 1 or 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until the bacon is about three-quarters cooked, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour off rendered fat.
To assemble, wrap each scallop around its circumference with a bacon slice. Secure with a toothpick and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. (Can be assembled up to 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bake the scallops until the bacon crisps and the scallops are cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with parsley. Squeeze a couple of lemon wedges over the scallops and garnish platter with remaining lemon.
NEW ORLEANS-STYLE SHRIMP
They sometimes call this “barbecue shrimp” in New Orleans, though it never goes near an open fire. Maybe it’s the red-tinted sauce. You can use shrimp in their shells the way they do in the Big Easy, which guests peel and eat by hand (supply lots of napkins!), or use peeled shrimp with tails on or off. Pick up by tails to eat or serve with toothpicks.
Makes 25 to 30 pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
11/2 teaspoons crumbled dried rosemary or 1 tablespoon fresh
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound large shrimp, 25 to 30 count
Heat the oil in small saucepan or skillet. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper. (Can be made a day ahead.)
Pour the sauce over shrimp and marinate for 2 to 4 hours. Preheat broiler.
Lift the shrimp out of the sauce and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil about 5 inches from heat source for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cooked through. Meanwhile, bring the remaining sauce to a simmer. Arrange the cooked shrimp on a platter, pour the sauce over, and serve hot or warm.
Brooke Dojny is author or co-author of more than a dozen cookbooks, most recently “Chowderland: Hearty Soups & Stews with Sides and Salads to Match.” She can be contacted via Facebook at:
facebook.com/brookedojny
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