ANGELS AND DEVILS ON HORSEBACK

If you’re a bacon addict, you’ll love this cocktail hors d’oeuvre or first course that’s designed to tickle the palate and tease the imagination.

Angels and Devils on Horseback are an evocative name for bacon rolls filled with oysters and prunes, set on a “horse” of toast. Scallops can make alternative angels or chicken livers can replace prunes as devils.

Adapted from In and Out of the Kitchen in 15 Minutes or Less written by Anne Willan and published by Quadrille Publishing.

■ 8 thin slices of bacon (about 1/2 lb)

■ 8 shucked medium oysters (about 4 oz)

■ 8 pitted prunes

■ 4 slices white bread

■ 2 tbsp (15 ml) butter

■ ½ tsp (2.5 ml) Worcestershire sauce, or more to taste

■ 8 wooden toothpicks

1. Preheat broiler and cover broiler rack with foil — allow 5 minutes for this before you begin recipe.

2. Cut bacon slices in half. Roll a piece of bacon around each oyster and each prune. (You’ll find oysters are slippery, but prunes are more amenable.)

3. Spear an oyster and a prune on each of 8 wooden toothpicks, setting them on foil.

4. Broil rolls about 2 inches away from the heat — quite close — so that the bacon browns, but oysters do not overcook and remain soft.

5. After about 2 minutes, turn the skewers and continue broiling for 2-3 minutes, until the bacon is browned. If you are using fatty bacon, it should be crisp and fat should be rendered.

6. Meanwhile, toast bread in a toaster. Melt butter and add Worcestershire sauce. Once the bread is toasted, cut off crusts and cut each slice in half.

7. Brush the flavoured butter on bread and set 2 pieces of bread on each of 4 warmed plates. Top with the angels and devils and serve very hot.

Serves: 4