Our PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED SHRIMP WITH LEMON COUSCOUS is an elegant yet easy meal that’s fit for a special occasion – it only has a few ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes!
There are times that I feel like I need to make a meal to impress – whether it’s a holiday, a special occasion or date night, sometimes plain old chicken just won’t do. That being said, I don’t always have hours to spend in the kitchen coming up with a fancy ten course meal. This prosciutto wrapped shrimp with lemon couscous is the best of both worlds – it’s elegant and unexpected but can be put together in half an hour.
This recipe is all about the shrimp – I prefer extra large shrimp, size 21-25 per pound or larger. The shrimp get a quick dunk in a 3 ingredient marinade and then are wrapped in thin slices of prosciutto, threaded onto skewers and broiled to perfection. You’ll want to watch these skewers carefully because shrimp cooks very quickly – they’ll only need to broil for 3-5 minutes.
Before I start working on the shrimp I put up a pot of lemon couscous. I strongly recommend Israeli (also known as pearl) couscous for this recipe, it’s tiny balls of pasta that can be found in most grocery stores, either in the pasta or ethnic foods aisle. The Israeli couscous is cooked and then tossed in a mixture of lemon juice, parsley and butter. Place the shrimp skewers on top of the couscous and you’ve got a meal that you can be proud to serve for any occasion. It even makes a great quick and easy weeknight dinner!
This meal may be short on ingredients but it’s big on flavor – the maple syrup in the marinade paired with the prosciutto creates an irresistible salty-sweet combo that works perfectly with the shrimp. I’m thinking this would be a great meal for a loved one on Valentine’s Day – even if it’s not a holiday this dinner will be greatly appreciated!
Ingredients
For the shrimp:
- 16 extra large shrimp
- 6 thin slices of prosciutto cut lengthwise into thirds
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
For the couscous:
- 5 ounces of dry Israeli pearl couscous
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- lemon wedges for garnish optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler.
- For the shrimp: In a medium bowl whisk together the maple syrup, soy sauce and dijon mustard. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.
- Marinate the shrimp for 10-15 minutes, or up to one hour.
- Wrap a strip of prosciutto around the center of each shrimp. Thread 8 shrimp onto each of 2 wooden or metal skewers.
- Place the skewers on a baking sheet that's been lined with foil and then coated in cooking spray.
- Broil for 3-5 minutes or until shrimp are pink and opaque. Be careful to not overcook the shrimp!
- For the couscous:
- Cook the couscous according to package instructions. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, parsley and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, divide the couscous between two plates and place a skewer of shrimp on top. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.
Leave a Reply