Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp with Romesco

While menu planning recently, J asked for lots of seafood - specifically shrimp. To me, shrimp is like chicken - it’s a very neutral canvas for a whole lotta flavor. I referred to my Future Recipes Pinterest board and merged two different ideas. Williams-Sonoma’s blog, Taste, inspired me to make a romesco sauce and grill them. Foodie Crush inspired me to wrap the shrimp in prosciutto and grill romaine lettuce, as well.

I was mostly excited to try the romesco sauce. Jarred piquillo (or roasted red) peppers, toasted almonds, and smoked paprika? Sounds like flavors I adore, but would I like the texture? I blended the following ingredients together in my baby food processor:

1 jar (10-11 ounces) piquillo peppers, drained
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic (I applied Garlic Math and ended up using 6 - 7)
2 tsp. smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

I could (and did!) eat this by the spoonful, it’s that good. It’s a gorgeous bright orange color and it is smoky and sweet with a little bit of crunchy texture from the nuts.

The sauce completed, I moved on to the shrimp. I bought a pack of prosciutto and sliced each of the pieces in half. Then, I wrapped each shrimp with the prosciutto. I also apparently kept Esther Williams in mind while arranging them on the plate.

I skewered three shrimp at a time onto pre-soaked wooden skewers and tossed them on the grill pan.

I turned them after 3 – 4 minutes and continued to flip them until the shrimp were fully opaque.

Once the shrimp were done, I drizzled romaine halves with olive oil and put them face down on the pan. I did these one at a time because our pan isn’t that big.

I topped the shrimp and the romaine with the romesco and included a radish + pea side salad – so much crunchiness on this plate!

Grilling romaine is the best, isn’t it? I love those stripey char marks and the slightly wilted warm pieces in the same bite as the crispy fresh non-grilled parts. I’m glad I kept the sides so fresh and neutral flavor-wise because this shrimp was to die for.

The prosciutto became crispy around the super tender shrimp and brought the perfect amount of saltiness. If you like bacon-wrapped scallops at weddings, prosciutto-wrapped shrimp needs to get onto your menu.

My biggest takeaway from this delicious meal is that romesco is my new favorite condiment, hands down. I could do one with green peppers and cumin, with marinated onions and smoked salt, or really just stick with this original piquillo and paprika perfection. It was the smokiness of the paprika that got me hook, line, and sinker. It is absolutely aggressive in it’s deliciousness. I knew it would be incredible paired with other proteins and, if you come back and read tomorrow’s post, I will show that attempt!