Buzz
I've never fully understood the allure of a bacon-wrapped scallop. While I adore both of these delicacies, the strong flavor of cured bacon is far too overpowering for the delicate, sweet scallop. It’s like gilding a lily, and I’m not a fan of it. Furthermore, unless you pre-cook the bacon, it doesn’t have enough time to crisp up properly. However, a seared scallop wrapped in a ramp leaf (which is essentially garlicky and rollable)? That’s the kind of elegant indulgence this rampscallion can truly get behind.
Much like the scallop itself, simplicity is key when it comes to ramps. A combination of fat, salt, and heat is all you need to bring out their flavor, with a garlicky, wilted ramp leaf providing just the right amount of savory contrast without overpowering the scallop’s soft, sweet essence. By using salted butter, you don’t need to season anything else (unless you prefer pepper, of course). Just wrap, sear, and enjoy. To create these springtime ocean delights, here’s what you’ll need:
1/2 pound of large scallops (approximately 5 or 6)
5 or 6 ramp leaves
3 tablespoons of salted butter
Thoroughly clean the ramps since they are wild, and separate the leaves from the rest of the allium (you can save the rest for roasting, frying, or making pesto). Wrap each leaf around a scallop and secure it with a toothpick. Heat butter in a stainless steel pan over high heat until it stops foaming and begins to brown. Add the scallops and cook for about a minute and a half on each side, until a 1/4-inch crust forms on both sides. As the scallops cook, drizzle the browning butter over the ramp leaves to soften them. Serve right away.
