Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimpfeatured

Alright, let me take you back in time because this recipe sure does take me back. The first time I made this dish, I was only 24 and had just started dating this handsome and exciting guy. His life was full of these amazing stories of danger and foreign lands and things that I had never even imagined…I was completely swept away by him. So what was the most important thing that I could do??? Well obviously I needed to show him that I was the best cook he had ever come across and ensure that his stomach would fall in love with me…hopefully the heart would follow suit!

So I set out to dazzle him with all sorts of different dishes…I cooked and I baked my way through almost all the continents. Truly it was exhausting to keep trying all of these recipes and thinking up inventive things to do with food. But I think it was during that time of my life that I found my passion for food and it was wonderful to find someone to share that passion with. I think it worked because it’s been 11 years now and I’m still cooking and baking my way through the continents to keep that man happy.

This was one of the first things that I made up for him to try. He loved it then and still loves it now. It’s super easy to make, but I usually save it for a special date night at home. It gives you about 6 large shrimp per person, which is a pretty large appetizer, and I follow it with a small serving of really decadent pasta. If you can afford it, go for the really big shrimp – the 8/10s are excellent in this dish because it gives you longer to crisp up the prosciutto without overcooking the shrimp. Don’t go smaller than the 26/30 size because you will end up with soggy prosciutto and tough shrimp.

Depending on where you got your shrimp from, they might not be deveined. Please make sure you devein your shrimp before you cook them…it’s not something that you want to be thinking about while enjoying your meal. It’s pretty easy to do. Just carefully slice down the back of the shrimp. Don’t cut too deep. You just want to open the back up a little. You will see that black or green line running down the back. Take the tip of your knife and carefully peel it out of the shrimp. It should come out in one long string.

Take half a piece of the prosciutto and lay a single fresh sage leaf in the middle. Next you want to lay your shrimp on top of the sage.

Fold the prosciutto over the shrimp, like you are wrapping it in a blanket. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just make sure that you cover as much of the shrimp as possible.

Lay the wrapped shrimp on a small baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Fresh cracked pepper is all you need to season the shrimp; there is already enough salt in the prosciutto so you don’t want to any extra.

Broil in the oven for just a few minutes, about 2-3 minutes. If you are using larger shrimp then you will likely need to go a little longer, but be careful. You only want to cook the shrimp until the flesh is opaque and slightly white.

Plate the shrimp on a bed of fresh arugula. Finish the plate with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic glaze and a dusting of Maldon salt. Every time I eat this dish I cannot help but think of those early days with my husband and it brings the butterflies back again. Hope you enjoy it too!