Shrimp & Prosciutto on Rosemary Skewers - The Neeley's shrimp skewers Ozzified -

This isn’t a mash-up or even my take on how to make the shrimp skewers the Neeleys prepared on The Chew today more in line with what Dr. Oz might deem as healthy. Instead it’s my take on Ted Allen’s recipe from way back when he was on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. I’ve been making these ever since I watched the episode years ago where he showed a hapless bachelor how to prepare this simple, delicious, “not as bad for you as nacho dip” appie. It’s been a big hit at every party where I serve it.

The process is quite easy.  

• Shell & devein jumbo shrimp or easier yet, buy them that way. I use wild-caught from American waters, but if you’re not skeeved out by farm-raised shrimp from the 3^rd world, then by all means use it instead. 
• Wrap a thin slice (does it come any other way???) of prosciutto around the shrimp.  
• Insert onto a skewer that has been soaked in water.  My twist on Ted’s original recipe is using a fresh rosemary sprig from my garden in place of a skewer.  It imparts a lovely flavor and helps mitigate against the carcinogens suspected – be sure to remove the leaves first. 
• Wrap the shrimp skewers in plastic wrap & refrigerate until it is “time to par-taaay”.  
• Preheat the broiler or grill around the time your guests are supposed to arrive (if your guests tend to be punctual, do it a little earlier). You can cook them before the guests come and keep them on a warming tray, but there’s something about getting food fresh off the grill that makes it even more special. 
• When the first guests arrive, hand them your signature cocktail or whatever libation you’ve chosen to greet them with @ the door, then pop the skewered shrimp under the preheated broiler or onto the Barbie until the shrimp is opaque – usually less than five minutes.  
• They need to be turned so plan on starting your appetizer course near where you are cooking the skewers. I find it helpful to use a large spatula to flip them because the skewers tend to get too hot to handle. If the party has a lot of guests & I’m grilling a lot of skewers, I use a grill basket so they all flip at the same time.

Prosciutto is far less fatty than the bacon which means there won’t be a greasy mess on your counter during prep nor on your guests’ hands when it comes time to serve.  Less fat means less LDL cholesterol and using prosciutto instead of bacon means no nitrates if you’re using the good stuff from Italia – Prosciutto de Parma.  It also gives you less to worry about not only because the chance of food-borne illnesses from undercooked pork is far less likely with prosciutto than with raw bacon, but also with the chance of a flare-up being virtually nil when using prosciutto, you’ll spend more time with your guests and less time putting out bacon grease fires.