camaroes a paulista (sao paulo style shrimp)

Soak the skewers in water for at least 1, preferably 3 hours.

In a large glass bowl, whisk together the lime juice, garlic, onion, cilantro, salt, pepper and olive oil. Add the shrimp and toss to coat evenly. Cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours, tossing once or twice. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and drain briefly. Reserve the shrimp marinade.

In another bowl, combine ¼ cup of the olive oil with ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and the minced garlic. Toss the bread cubes in this mixture, making sure they are evenly coated, and let sit for about 3 minutes.

Preheat a grill or broiler to mediumhigh heat. Thread 4 shrimp, 4 squares of bacon and 2 bread cubes onto each skewer, alternating and placing bacon on both sides of each bread cube. Grill the skewers for about 2 minutes on each of all 4 sides, brushing with a little more of the bread marinade as they cook.

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce chiffonade with the remaining ¼ cup olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the vinegar and toss again briefly. Make a bed of lettuce on a plate, perch a skewer on the top, and spoon a little of the remaining shrimp marinade over the top. Garnish the plate with lime wedges and serve.

Yield: 6 servings TOO HOT TAMALES SHOW #TH6201 For the Shrimp: