This Italian-inspired dish is deceptively easy to prepare and is an excellent prelude to most any meal. I use red or pink Mediterranean prawns for this recipe, such as the Italian gambero rosso, as they yield the best flavor and have a beautiful color but you may also use tiger or banana prawns.

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

Aïoli:
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 ¼ cups extra virgin olive oil
• 4 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
  
  Shrimp:
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 12 gambero rosso shrimp, peeled and cleaned
• 12 large basil leaves
• 12 slices Prosciutto ham
• 1 tablespoon saffron seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 cups loosely packed spring greens
• 12 slices fresh mozzarella
• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into 12 slices
• Aïoli
• Extra Vecchio Balsamico

Method:
For the Aïoli:
In a mortar and pestle, make a paste with the garlic and salt. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the paste with mustard. Then add yolks until well blended. Slowly add ¼ cup oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until the mixture becomes thick. Add juice and water, whisking constantly. Add the remaining 1 cup oil very slowly, whisking constantly until the consistency of a light mayonnaise. If it becomes too thick for your liking, add additional warm water, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the consistency you desire. Season with salt and pepper. Use immediately.

For the Shrimp:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch sauté pan over high heat. Add shrimp, and sauté until red, about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan and wrap each one in a basil leaf, and then a slice of the Prosciutto. Return the sauté pan to high heat and add the remaining oil and butter, saffron seeds, and garlic. Sauté until the garlic is softened but not browned, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp, and sauté until the Prosciutto is golden brown, about 1 additional minute.

To Assemble and Serve:
Place spring greens in the center of each serving plate. Place a slice of mozzarella at the 12:00, 4:00, and 8:00 positions of each serving plate. Place one Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp, tail side standing up and facing inward, on each slice of mozzarella. Place a vine-ripened tomato slice at the 2:00, 6:00, and 10:00 place positions and cover with a dollop of Aïoli. Drizzle Extra Vecchio Balsamico over the dish.

Quick Tip:
Extra Vecchio Balsamico is true balsamic vinegar that has matured in wooden casks for at least thirty and as many as a hundred plus years. It has a much richer flavor and full body than even true balsamic vinegar and can command prices into the thousands per small flask. If you don’t have access to the real thing, you can create a Balsamic Glaze. Simply reduce 2 cups balsamic vinegar over low heat until it has reduced to ¼ cup, about 45 minutes.

Wine Pairings:
Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay, Margaret River, Australia
Bodegas Hidalgo, Manzanilla La Gitana, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain

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