Entrée meets dessert

Bring some love to your table with bacon-wrapped jumbo sea scallops. Chef Glenroy Walker, who heads the culinary team at Sandals Royal Caribbean, is known for his awesome creations, and the bacon wrapped jumbo sea scallops is one such creation.

His simply divine concoction of seafood, chocolate and lots of fruity goodness will have you falling in love all over again, not to mention it's the perfect excuse to dine in. Hold off on the dessert, because this is one part of an entree that certainly packs a punch.

Bacon-Wrapped Jumbo Sea Scallops

With chocolate allspice polenta, strawberry compote and smoked apple purée

Serves one

Ingredients

3 jumbo sea scallops

1 tsp cajun spice

3 slices bacon strips

3 toothpicks

Polenta

6 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp onions chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbs finely diced bell pepper

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp allspice (pimento)

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup refined cornmeal

Salt and pepper to taste

Strawberry compote

5 fresh strawberries, finely diced

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 oz Appleton dark rum

Apple purée

1/2 American apple, diced

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Method and assembly

Preheat oven to 350F. Pat scallops dry with paper towel to remove excess water, then season with cajun spice and wrap them like a ring with 1 strip of bacon each (hold with a tooth pick) and set aside.

Polenta: In a frying pan, heat two tablespoons olive oil at medium heat, then sautée onions, garlic, peppers for two minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic (stir constantly). Add chicken stock, chocolate and allspice, and turn heat up to high, bringing to boil.

Gradually add the cornmeal while whisking continually; add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from flame and spread mixture on a small sheet pan lined with greased parchment paper and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. Remove and cut polenta in small triangles. Just before serving, sear in two tablespoons in a frying pan until golden brown.

Strawberry compote: In a non-stick pan over medium heat add diced strawberries, appleton rum and half the sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the strawberries are soft. Remove from heat and cool. Transfer mixture to a food processor and blend until a smooth texture is achieved.

Apple purée: Toss apples with sugar and place on a baking sheet. Bake in oven until tender. Remove from oven, place apples in blender and add liquid smoke. Blend with two tablespoons olive oil until a smooth texture is achieved. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Scallops: In an oven-proof frying pan, pan-sear the scallops in two tablespoons very hot olive oil until light golden brown (about 30 seconds to one minute per side). Transfer the pan to the oven for five minutes to crisp the bacon. Remove and serve as shown in picture.