My Favorite Appetizer!

This has to be my favorite appetizer recipe that I have found.  It’s from Sunny Anderson…probably my favorite chef on television currently.  She offers recipes for things that I have readily available in my kitchen, or easy to find at the local store.  I have tried many of her recipes, and haven’t found I needed to alter anything to my palate. Although, you will see items in parenthesis where I had to make adjustments for what I had available or tips.  They have all been simply amazing!

Enjoy the below recipe.  Makes a great appetizer for 4 or more…I found a french baguette makes a great bread for dipping, soft in the middle and chewy on the outside.

(When serving something that is required to be chewy or crunchy, you need to consider your guests and their needs.  Some are unable to chew much or may have sensitive teeth that may experience discomfort when biting into crunchy.  Just be mindful of that to be a good host.)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (16-ounce) pepperoni, 1/2-inch diced (I found the longer the pepperoni was left in the oil cooking, the tougher it became.  We took the pepperoni out after it had released some of it’s oil while the shrimp finished cooking, and then added it back in to warm it back up for just a little bit.)
• 1 head garlic, peeled and chopped (yes, one whole head)
• 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning (I didn’t have this at the time, so I just used sea salt and a little black pepper)
• 1 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked paprika)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1/2 pounds (16 to 20 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined  (Frozen and thawed made things easier)
• Crusty chewy bread, for sopping

Directions