We first tasted these shrimp 30 years ago while visiting the Outer Banks in North Carolina and have been making them ever since. The trick is to pre-cook the bacon up to just before it becomes crispy, so it’s partially cooked, but it is still flexible enough to wrap around the shrimp. If you don’t pre-cook the bacon, you will end up with raw bacon or over-cooked shrimp. The spicy, sweet, and savory Bourbon Barbecue Sauce is the perfect complement to the smoky bacon and delicate shrimp. Serve with a green salad or Rice Pilaf for a delicious complete 5TastesTable meal.

4 servings
Ingredients:

• 12 large shrimp (I used 13-15 count)

• 6 slices of bacon

• Bourbon Barbecue Sauce (or your favorite bottled brand)

• 4 bamboo skewers

Preparation:
1. Soak the bamboo skewers while you make the Bourbon Barbecue Sauce:

• 1/2 cups ketchup

• 1/4 cup Bourbon

• 1/6 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup molasses

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 tablespoons yellow or brown mustard

• 1/2 shallot or 1/2 tablespoon onion powder

• 1 cloves garlic or

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle (or ancho) chili powder

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire

• 1 Bay Leaf

  1. Saute shallot and garlic.

  2. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat. Stirring occasionally and simmer for 20 minutes. Sauce should be thin, but not watery. Allow to cool.

  3. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Sauce is better if allowed to sit for a day. Sauce will keep refrigerated for about 10 days.

Adapted from: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-and-Brown-Sugar-Barbecue-Sauce-359849?

2. Precook the bacon: it should be cooked to the point just before it becomes crispy. Cut each strip in half so you have 12 halves.

3. Toss the shrimp in a bowl to coat with barbecue sauce and refrigerate for at least ½ hour.

4. Wrap each shrimp with a piece of bacon and thread onto a skewer so the skewer is holding the bacon in place on the shrimp; 3 shrimp per skewer.

5. Heat your grill to medium-hot; oil the grates.

6. Brush each bacon-shrimp skewer with barbecue sauce and place on a medium hot grill; cook for about 2-3 minutes per side depending on the size of your shrimp

Wine pairing: a balanced, fruit-forward Sauvignon Blanc; Dry Riesling; Albariño.