Ingredients:

  • 1 lb (450 g) Large Prawns (Shrimp), peeled, deveined, tail on
  • 8 slices Thin-cut streaky bacon, sliced lengthwise into halves
  • 18 Wooden Toothpicks, soaked in water for 15 minutes
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) Runny Honey
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, chopped finely, plus 1 tsp of the sauce
  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Fresh Lime Juice
  • ½ tsp (2.5 ml) Garlic Powder
  • ½ tsp (2.5 ml) Smoked Paprika
  • ¼ tsp (1.25 ml) Kosher Salt
  • ¼ tsp (1.25 ml) Black Pepper

Instructions:

  1. Prep the Prawns: Pat the peeled and deveined prawns completely dry using kitchen paper. This is absolutely critical for crisp bacon and preventing steaming.
  2. Combine Glaze Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, chopped chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until well combined.
  3. Marinate (Optional Quick Coat): Brush about 1/3 of the glaze mixture lightly over the dried prawns. Set the remaining 2/3 aside—this will be used solely for the final basting and glaze.
  4. Prepare the Bacon: Cut the 8 slices of bacon lengthwise into two thin strips, yielding 16 strips in total.
  5. Wrap the Prawns: Take one strip of bacon and wrap it tightly around the body of one prawn, starting at the tail end and spiralling up towards the head.
  6. Secure: Thread a soaked wooden toothpick through the wrapped bacon and the prawn body to hold the structure securely. Place the wrapped prawns, seam-side down, on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
  7. Chill (Crucial Step): Place the tray in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This firms up the bacon fat, helping the bacon hold its shape and crisp up better during cooking.
  8. Preheat: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Position an oven rack in the upper middle position.
  9. First Bake: Bake the wrapped prawns for 8 minutes. The bacon should be starting to brown, but not yet crispy.
  10. First Glaze: Remove the tray from the oven. Using a pastry brush, generously brush half of the reserved glaze over the bacon-wrapped prawns.
  11. Finish Baking: Return the prawns to the oven for another 4–5 minutes, until the bacon is mostly crisp and the prawns are opaque pink.
  12. The Crisp Finish (Broil/Grill): Switch the oven setting to the broiler/grill function (high heat). Brush the prawns with the remaining glaze. Broil for 1–2 minutes, watching very carefully, until the bacon edges are crisp and the glaze is bubbling and caramelised.
  13. Serve: Remove, let cool for a minute, and serve immediately with the toothpicks intact.