Smoky bacon wrapped around shrimp spiced with Neely’s barbecue rub and garlic creates a sensuous dance of flavors on your tongue. But the real romance of the dish is that you can feed your partner these bite-sized delights.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 as starter

　　1/4 cup olive oil

　　2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　1 teaspoon Neely’s barbecue rub (see page 112)

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　16 jumbo shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled and deveined

　　8 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise

　　8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

　　1 recipe sweet and spicy orange dipping sauce (recipe follows)

　　

SWEET AND SPICY ORANGE DIPPING SAUCE

3/4 cup orange marmalade

　　1/4 cup sweet Asian chile sauce

　　1 tablespoon soy sauce

　　Pinch of crushed red-pepper flakes

　　(makes about 1 cup)

　　

Step 1

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.

　　

Step 2

Whisk together the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, Neely’s barbecue rub, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp, and toss. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 15 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Cook your bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until halfway done (not yet crisp), about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined sheet tray to drain and cool.

　　

Step 4

Remove the shrimp from the marinade, and wrap the bacon slices around the center of each shrimp. Thread the skewer through the shrimp and bacon to secure. (Thread two shrimp per skewer.)

　　

Step 5

Grill the shrimp on both sides until the bacon is crisp and the shrimp are bright pink, about 5 to 7 minutes per side. Serve with the sweet and spicy orange dipping sauce.

　　

SWEET AND SPICY ORANGE DIPPING SAUCE

Step 6

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with the bacon-wrapped shrimp.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook by Pat and Gina Nelly. Copyright © 2011 by Pat and Gina Nelly with Anna Volkwein. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Pat and Gina Neely are restaurateurs, best-selling authors, popular speakers, and hosts of the Food Network hit series Down Home with the Neelys. They recently opened their first New York City restaurant, Neely's Barbecue Parlor. They live with their daughters in Memphis, where they enjoy cooking at home with family and friends.Ann Volkwein is a best-selling food and lifestyle author based in New York City and Austin, Texas. Her previous books include: The Arthur Avenue Cookbook, Chinatown New York, Mixt Greens (with Andrew Swallow), and, with Guy Fieri: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; More Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; and Guy Fieri Food.