Bacon Wrapped Kahlua Shrimp!

In January of this year we went to Mazatlan.  It was a great place to eat!

One of the dishes, as you see above, was this Kahlua shrimp that I said I would attempt to make and show you what I did.  Well, here it is.  As close as I could come.

Buy large prawns, about 4 or 5 inches long if you can find them, and 2-3 per person (depending on the size).  If not, make do with the largest you can find.  I purchased some that were fresh and about 6 inches or more long (got lucky!).  Being on the wrong side of town where the butcher is, I made do with prosciutto instead of extra thin bacon.  Also you will need a bottle of Kahlua, and some Spanish or Mexican semi hard cheese. 

Peel the shell from the shrimp, but leave the tail.
Butterfly the shrimp to within a 1/4 inch of the tail (as shown below) and remove black veins.

Place grated cheese in the middle "well" created by butterflying the shrimp.  I used what I had, Spanish Manchego cheese.  Fold the prosciutto over the shrimp and cheese, using one or more pieces as needed to cover all but the tail.  If you use bacon, make sure you fry it until it's just about to get crisp.  You need it to still be pliable.

Place each wrapped shrimp in a lightly oiled baking dish, and insure you have the meat in a single layer.  You will not need to salt these as there is plenty in the salt cured pork.  Pour enough Kahlua over the top so that you have almost covered the shrimp.

Place in a preheated oven at 375 degrees.  Because this is shrimp, you do not want to overcook them.  So pay attention!  10, maybe 15 minutes at the most!  They will be dry, and not as flavorful if you cook them too long.  They will continue to cook after removing them from the oven.  Serve with a slotted spoon and pour just a tiny bit of the Kahlua juice over the top.  I served mine with roasted bell pepper and sweet onion polenta, and baked baby Vidalia onions.

Enjoy!

A great new site to see a real chef!

The Savage Kitchen is a very fun, and educational new site for learning to cook great food.  Check it out!
http://www.thecliffhouse.com/_blog/Savage_Kitchen/post/Cliff_House_Colorado_Rack_of_Lamb/

With lamb, especially a good lamb dish, you want a wine that will complement the flavors.  Click on a label to get a better look at each if you like.  Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Chateauneuf du Pape, or a good Syrah, should go well with most lamb dishes. 
 
Hope you enjoy the link above for a light hearted way of approaching food prep and cooking.  Cooking and eating should be enjoyable, and the more you expose yourself to these kinds of learning tools and new foods, the more educated you and your palate become. 
 
So until the next blog, happy cooking and eating!