Gulf shrimp, bacon and a grill- what could be better? Glaze said shrimp with a sprightly Thai chili sauce, that’s what!
If you are going to cook shrimp, be picky. There are a lot of shrimp on the market that I won’t buy- mainly raised in Vietnam. Regardless of what the FDA says, I don’t trust imported shrimp and steer clear. In addition to not being sure of the handling of the shrimp, the texture of most imported shrimp is not near as good as domestic shrimp. particularly Gulf shrimp. I always look for wild-caught shrimp from Texas through Alabama. I like 21-25 count shrimp (the count means the number per pound on average) as I think they are the best combination of size and flavor
Ok, enough shrimp ranting. Bacon wrapped shrimp is a classic dish as it is one of those combinations where each item makes the finished dish so much better than the parts. The fresh, briny flavor of the shrimp, along with the succulence of bacon are almost perfect. Together, they hit nirvana when you add a nice glaze from a spicy-sweet thai chili sauce and a bit of char from the grill. This may be a little prep heavy, but will be worth it!
This dish will work well as either an appetizer or an entree, so don’t hesitate to try it out at your next meal!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 lb 21-25 count Gulf Shrimp
- 12 slices bacon
Instructions
- Peel shrimp, leaving tails on. Devein shrimp.
- Cut bacon slices in half, then wrap around shrimp and secure with a toothpick.
- Heat grill to medium high. Place shrimp on grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until bacon is crisping up.
- Glaze shrimp with thai chili sauce, allow to "tighten" for 1 minute, then flip over and glaze other side. Allow glaze to tighten another minute and remove from grill. Enjoy!
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