My favorite little Island appetizer!

I have to say that beach life is all it’s cracked up to be. We wake up in the mornings to see the sun rising over the Gulf of Mexico and jump out of bed to greet the day. Living on an Island has many advantages that I will share with you day by day, but one of the best advantages is the abundance of FRESH seafood, including GIANT shrimp that we can pick up fresh, right off of the boat. I discovered this recipe on Zatarain’s Pinterest page as I am always looking for new ways to fix shrimp and when I saw BACON as an ingredient, I was all in. This recipe continues to be a favorite of my son when he visits from SFA in Nacogdoches, my neighbors when they invite us to dinner (I always bring something outrageously scrumptious as an appetizer or side dish), and of course my husband.

A few things I’d like to mention that I have discovered about making this recipe is that your shrimp should be ICE COLD when you wrap them in bacon because it insures that your shrimp will not cook faster than the bacon. Oh my goodness, the shrimp is so plump and tender when you ice them in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. I usually clean the shrimp early in the day and refrigerate with ice until I am ready to cook. Be sure to pat your shrimp dry before wrapping them in bacon.

Now, here in Texas we love BBQ sauce. The Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning gives it a nice spicy flavor but I like to brush the shrimp with a Honey BBQ sauce during the last 4 minutes of cooking. Brush on one side, cook for two minutes, turn, brush the other side. and finish baking.  It’s a wonderful mix of two cultures and it fills a Texan’s need for additional napkins! Most of our meats are generally SMOTHERED in BBQ sauce.

Bon Appétit from my little Island off the coast of Texas. Be sure to let me know how you liked this recipe and share your creative additions with me, as there are many.

Recipe Ingredients

16 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, leaving tails on
16 slices bacon
ZATARAIN’S® Creole Seasoning
Method

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line baking pan with foil. Place baking rack in pan.
Wrap each shrimp with 1 slice of bacon. Place shrimp on rack. Lightly sprinkle both sides with Creole Seasoning. Let stand for 15 minutes.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until bacon is crisp around the edges and shrimp turn pink.
Serve warm.
Yield: 8 servings, 2 shrimp each

Recipe and photo courtesy of Kristen Doyle of Dine & Dish.

Recipe and photograph courtesy of Zatarain’s. Zatarain’s logo

If this is posted twice I offer my apologies!  I’m a new blogger and am still figuring out the process of posting.  It appears I have a page I cannot find.  LOL