Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

A tasty appetizer of Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp will be hit with your party crowd. They'll savor the hint of heat mingled with sweetness in each bite.

Ingredients:

• 24 unpeeled, large raw shrimp 
• 1/4 cup canola oil 
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 12 bacon slices, cut in half crosswise 
• 24 wooden picks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails on. Combine canola oil and next 7 ingredients in a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Add shrimp; seal and chill 30 minutes, turning once.

2. Meanwhile, arrange bacon in a single layer in a 15- x-10-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake at 450° for 6 to 8 minutes or just until bacon begins to brown. (Bacon will be partially cooked, not crisp.) Remove from pan, and drain on paper towels. Reduce oven temperature to 400°.

3. Place a lightly greased wire rack in an aluminum foil-lined 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Remove shrimp from marinade; discard marinade. Wrap 1 bacon piece around each shrimp, and secure with a wooden pick threaded through both ends of shrimp. Arrange shrimp in a single layer on wire rack.

4. Bake at 400° for 8 to 10 minutes or until bacon is crisp and shrimp turn pink. Serve immediately.

Southern Living
DECEMBER 2012