Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Maple-Mustard Glaze

Last Year's Post: parmesan pork cutlets with herb salad
Two Years Ago:   Roasted Carrots with Herbs

There are plenty of bacon-wrapped shrimp recipes out there, but this is my favorite for one reason - the sauce.  Tangy and a little sweet, it kind of reminds me of honey mustard but better.  Brushed on bacon and shrimp and onion, it's one of the best shrimp recipes I've ever had.

The first few times I made this, I struggled with getting the bacon cooked enough without overcooking the shrimp.  The solution was to partially cook the bacon in advance so it crisps up faster on the grill (or grill pan, if it happens to be winter).  I read about various ways to par-cook bacon (boiling?  no thanks) but the simplest seemed to be to put it in a skillet and just cook it halfway, then blot the strips and put them in the refrigerator to firm up a tad.  Maybe the refrigeration wouldn't be necessary if you start with thick-cut bacon, but thicker bacon will be even harder to get cooked on the grill without overcooking the shrimp.  You want a thinner cut here.The shrimp are only on the grill for 2-3 minutes per side so thinner bacon has a better chance to cook than a thick cut.

These shrimp would make a fabulous appetizer, but we like them for dinner.  Last night we served them alongside polenta with spinach and it was truly restaurant quality.

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Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Maple-Mustard Glaze

Serves 4

1 ½ lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails left on

1 strip of bacon for every 2 shrimp

½ red onion, cut into 1” chunks

Glaze

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup maple syrup

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Tabasco to taste (start with 8 drops and go up from there)

To par-cook the bacon, heat a large skillet on medium-low and fry the bacon until some of the fat has rendered and the strips have softened considerably but have not started to brown or crisp.  Remove to paper towels and blot, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.

When ready to grill, remove the bacon strips and cut each one in half crosswise.  Wrap a piece of bacon around each shrimp and thread onto skewers.  Thread the red onion pieces on a separate skewer.  Set aside.

To make the glaze, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Whisk in the mustard until fully blended, then whisk in the remaining ingredients.  Put half the glaze in a small bowl to take to the grill, and leave the rest in the saucepan over low heat to keep warm.

Preheat a grill to medium-hot, about 400d.  Brush the shrimp and onion skewers generously with glaze and grill 2-3 minutes per side, until the bacon is brown and crisp and the shrimp are firm and pink.  Remove the skewers from the grill and brush with the glaze that was kept warm in the saucepan.  Serve any remaining glaze from the saucepan with the shrimp and onions at the table.