Mmmmm Prosciutto!

I must say...I do love salty, fatty meats...especially prosciutto! I use prosciutto a lot (kinda how I like throwing bacon into everything too). I especially love the flavor of prosciutto with seafood, like shrimp and scallops. I make these prosciutto-wrapped shrimp and scallops that always are a hit when I throw a party. They're really not hard to make, and a step above bacon-wrapped. I like to serve them with a pesto aioli (recipe follows).

Pesto Aioli:

10-12 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup virgin olive oil

In a blender, pulse basil leaves, garlic, lemon juice and egg yolks (careful not to blend too much).
Then on low speed, slowly add the olive oil, until mixture emulsifies or thickens.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.

If you do not want to make aioli, you can just make a pesto mayo that works just as well. Instead, mix 1 cup of mayo with basil leaves, lemon juice and garlic and pulse in a food processor until blended. For this recipe I do not add salt or Parmesan cheese because the prosciutto is salty, but if you want to make this for a non-salty item or for a sandwich spread, adding salt & about 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese is needed for flavor.

Prosciutto-wrapped shrimp:

20 Large Uncooked Shrimp (13-15/lb or 16-20/lb) peeled & deveined

10 thin slices of prosciutto

2 tablespoons chopped fresh or dry basil

2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic or granulated garlic

1/4 cup melted sweet, unsalted butter

Lemon wedges for garnish

Coat the shrimp with the basil and garlic in a bowl (do not add any salt as the prosciutto is salty). Slice each piece of prosciutto in half lengthwise and wrap each shrimp with the prosciutto and lay them on a baking sheet (I lightly spray my baking sheet with cooking spray). I don't always use skewers, but if you have them on hand, you can use wooden toothpicks or skewers to keep the prosciutto in place (just make sure you soak the toothpicks or skewers in water for about 30 minutes before so they don't burn in the oven or on the grill). Once all your shrimp are wrapped, brush the tops with the melted butter. Broil the shrimp for about 2 mintues then flip over and broil another 2 minutes or until the shrimp are opaque and bright pink. These can be served warm or cold. They are yummy both ways.