This dish comes from the 25-year-old chef Kensaku Tanaka of Vancouver's popular Guu Otokomae in the city's Gastown neighbourhood. Kitchen tip: Scallops lose their succulence and some of their flavour when overcooked, so make sure the temperature in the pan is quite high so that scallops will brown on the outside before overcooking inside.
Servings: 4
Ready Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
4 scallops, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter
1 5.3-ounce (150-gram) package enoki mushrooms
8 strips bacon
Black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons cooking sake
1 tablespoon butter
Method
Presoak four 12-inch wooden skewers in water overnight.
Cut scallops in half horizontally. Remove enoki mushrooms from package and cut off the bottom of the woody stem, keeping mushrooms together in a clump. Break into 8 equal portions. Cut bacon strips in half lengthwise and wrap each of the scallops with a piece of bacon. Reserve scallops in fridge while wrapping each bundle of enoki mushrooms the same way.
Alternating between scallops and mushrooms, thread 2 bundles of each onto wooden skewers. Season on both sides with black pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry skewers until bacon is crisp and scallops are golden brown (about 3 minutes per side). Remove skewers to a plate. Add soy sauce, sake and butter to pan and swirl gently. Place skewers back into pan, cover and steam until sauce is thickened and scallops are cooked through (about 3 minutes).