Grilled Shrimp with Prosciutto

Courtesy of Mary Engelbreit's Let's Party Cookbook

The salty-sweet flavor of prosciutto is a perfect complement to sweet shrimp. A good domestic prosciutto, rather than an expensive imported Italian one, is just fine here. If you prefer, skewer each shrimp individually, then grill. For a lively presentation, halve an orange or grapefruit,place it cut-side-down in a serving bowl, and stand the skewers of shrimp in the fruit. Garnish with fresh rosemary.

Serves 8

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons crumbled dried
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled, tail portion left on if desired, and deveined
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Combine the lemon juice, oil, rosemary in a shallow bowl. Add the shrimp, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, tossing once or twice.

2. Prepare a hot fire in a grill. Soak 10 to 12 wooden skewers in warm water to cover for 15 minutes; drain.

3. Trim the excess fat from the prosciutto and cute the prosciutto into strips about 1 inch by 4 inches. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and season with pepper. Wrap a strip of prosciutto around each schrimp, leaving part of the head and tail exposed. Thread 3 shrimp crosswise on each skewer, leaving a small space between each.

4. Grill until the shrimp are pink and the prosciutto is beginning to crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Slide the shrimp from the skewers onto a platter and serve