Rumaki Hors D'Oeuvres Restaurant

Rumaki is the ultimate retro cocktail party appetizer, and this restaurant-style version wraps three different fillings in bacon: water chestnuts for crunch, pineapple chunks for sweetness, and bay scallops for a hit of briny seafood. Each one gets pan-fried until the bacon is crisp, then glazed in a sticky teriyaki and honey sauce.

The pan-frying method works better than the broiler here. You get evenly crisp bacon all the way around, and the rendered fat mixes with the teriyaki-honey glaze to create a sauce that’s smoky, sweet, and savory all at once. Drain the excess bacon fat before adding the sauce or the glaze won’t stick.

Three different fillings means variety on every pass of the platter. The water chestnuts stay crunchy even after cooking, the pineapple caramelizes in the glaze, and the scallops cook through in the time it takes to crisp the bacon.

Kitchen Tips

• Use thin-cut bacon so it crisps faster and wraps tighter around the fillings.
• Cut each bacon slice into thirds. A full slice is too much bacon relative to the filling.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches so the bacon fries instead of steaming.
• Serve immediately while the glaze is warm and sticky. These lose their crunch as they cool.

Variations

• Use chicken liver in place of scallops for a more traditional rumaki.
• Swap teriyaki for a sweet chili sauce for a spicier glaze.
• Add a thin slice of jalapeño inside each bacon wrap for heat.