Superbowl Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

I was looking for an appetizer for last night’s Super Bowl, and found this recipe for Broiled Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp. After all, the only thing better than shrimp is bacon, right? I was sure that combining the two together was a sure winner. Unfortunately, no. Overall, I’d only give the recipe 3-1/2 stars, which is pretty amazing since I usually give both main ingredients almost 5-stars on their own. The main shortcoming was that the shrimp lacked flavor. The ratio of 1-bacon-slice to 6-shrimp was too stingy. Next time I will try 1-bacon-slice to 4-shrimp. But even considering the lack of sufficient flavorings, both my sons enjoyed the shrimp (so still a success).

Pretty light on the bacon flavor, and not much else.

Issues/Comments:

1. First and foremost, the shrimp needed more flavor. More Bacon, more anything. Next time I will use each slice of bacon to wrap 4 shrimp instead of 6. Also, the slightly longer strips will be easier to wrap.
2. While the recipe calls for 21 to 25 per pound shrimp, I used the 26 to 31 that I already had in my freezer. It had been on sale for $5/lb.
3. Because my shrimp were slightly smaller, I needed 5 strips of bacon to cover all my 30 shrimp.
4. The recipe says to use a two-part broiler pan so that the bacon grease can drip down. But because most of the bacon fat was rendered in the microwave, next time I will place the shrimp directly on the foil for even easier cleanup. Also the extra fat will add flavor and hopefully keep the shrimp a little moister.
5. The 2 tablespoons of chives was a waste of the $1. They looked nice, but almost all the chives just rolled off the shrimp and onto the plate. (BTW, I forgot to add them for the photo, but remembered before serving).

Rating: 3-1/2 stars.
Cost: $7.
How much work? Low.
How big of a mess?  Low.
Start time 6:30 PM. Dinner time 7:00 PM.

Chris Kimball’s original recipe for Broiled Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp is here.  The descriptions of how I cooked it today are given below.

1 pound shrimp (26 to 31 per pound)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
5 slices bacon
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1. First thaw the shrimp in cold water for 30 minutes; changing the water every 10 minutes. Then peel and pat the shrimp dry the shrimp. Place in a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Gently stir the shrimp until evenly coated.
2. Adjust an oven rack so that it is 6 inches from the broiler element. Preheat the broiler. Line the bottom of the broiler-pan with aluminum foil, then put the slotted broiler-pan top in place. (Next time I will just put the shrimp directly on the foil for easier cleanup).
3. Slice each slice of bacon lengthwise into two, long strips, then cut each strip into three short pieces.  Each piece of bacon will yield 6 mini-pieces (Next time I will cut each slice into 4 pieces). Calculate the number of bacon slices your need depending upon the size of shrimp you are using.
4. Spread the mini-bacon slices over 4 layers of paper towels on a plate, then cover with 2 more layers of paper towels. Microwave for 2 minutes, so that much of the fat has rendered but the bacon is still pliable.
5. Wrap each shrimp with 1 piece of microwaved bacon, and place on the broiler-pan. Place so that both ends of the bacon are underneath the shrimp.
6. Broil for 4 minutes; turning 180-degrees half way through cooking. The shrimp will be ready when they are pink and the bacon had browned.
7. When done place on a large serving platter and sprinkle with the chives. The recipe also calls for skewering each shrimp with a toothpick.

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