BLT Scallop Bites

I’m a sucker for bite-sized food.  Not just because it’s adorable, but I swear the cuteness actually enhances the flavor and overall appeal.  You also have the opportunity to taste and experience a wider variety of flavors without having to commit to one dish that may or may not turn out to be what you expected.

As much as I love throwing a formal dinner party complete with hand-printed menus, flowers and candlelight, I also love a more casual gathering with open seating and a variety of small bites to sample and enjoy.   Everyone has fun sampling the various flavors, and as a bonus it’s easier to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies.

Regardless of how casual the gathering may be, the prep never is.  But that doesn’t mean I don’t love every step of the process!  I’m a woman who absolutely loves to entertain.  As such, I find it essential to have a handful of go-to hors d’oeuvre and ‘party bite’ recipes at the ready.

I love preparing crostini’s (with varying toppings depending on the season), and usually offer Belgian endive spears with either seafood (usually lobster or crab), or a creamy cheese and toasted nut compote. And on the subject of cheese… I always, always have a cheese plate.

For me, half of the fun of cooking is the experimentation factor.  So, in addition to my tried-and-true recipes, I love offering at least one or two new items.  In searching for something new and bite sized that (at least mostly) aligned with my diet, I decided to prepare my favorite sandwich – a BLT – in bite sized servings.  And as I can’t do bread and am trying to incorporate more protein, I seared and sliced scallops to use as the “bun”.

The aioli definitely isn’t diet-friendly, but it absolutely made the dish.  The creamy and zesty lemon and garlic perfectly accent the other flavors, making this recipe an absolute winner.

Ingredients:

For the lemon garlic aioli:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (I prefer 2)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pinch course sea salt

For the Scallop BLTs:

12 fresh, large scallops (preferably unfrozen, or thawed)

4 Roma tomatoes, sliced into rounds

2-3 romaine leaves, washed

4 strips bacon, cooked as desired

2 tbsp flour, mixed with a healthy pinch of coarse salt and ground pepper

2 tbsp butter or olive oil

Directions:

To prepare the lemon aioli, mix the mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic and salt with an immersion blender or food processor.  Set aside, adding additional lemon zest if desired for aesthetic appeal

Dust the top and bottom of the scallops in the mixture of flour, salt and pepper

Heat up a medium or large sized skillet, adding butter or olive oil.  Add scallops one by one, paying attention to the order that you put them in.  Cook on each side for 1-2 minutes, until the bottom is a golden brown.  When ready, carefully turn the scallops over in the order that they were placed in the skillet

When both sides have reached a golden brown and the scallops are cooked through, remove from the skillet and set aside

Cut each scallop lengthwise, creating a “top” and “bottom” for the BLT bites

Prepare the “bottoms” of the scallops with one slice of tomato, bacon, lettuce, and a healthy dollop of the lemon and garlic aioli.  Place other half of scallop on top, and secure with a toothpick

Enjoy!

Serves 12 Scallop BLT Bites