Beer Braised Shrimp with Louisiana Salsa and Rice

Cook Time: 30 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

* 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
* 6 to 8 small ribs celery from the heart, chopped
* 1 large or 2 medium green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
* 1 medium-large red onion, chopped
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, finely chopped
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1 1/2 cups enriched white rice
* 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 red jalapeno chile peppers, very thinly sliced
* 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, heirloom multi colored, red or
yellow, halved
* 2 limes
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 pounds large shrimp, deveined, tail on
* 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1/4 cup hot sauce
* 1 bottle beer
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on an angle

Directions

In a medium bowl combine the garlic, celery, peppers, onions and thyme.

Heat a medium pot with 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add about
1/3 of the vegetables to the pot, saute 2 to 3 minutes, add rice and
toss around for 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in the chicken stock and
cover pot, bring to a boil. Simmer rice 15 to 18 minutes until tender,
fluff with fork and season with salt and pepper.

Combine remaining vegetables with red chile peppers and tomatoes and
dress with the juice of 1 lime. Season with a little salt.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high to
high heat. Add shrimp and season with seafood seasoning,
Worcestershire and hot sauce. Toss shrimp for about 2 minutes then add
beer, reduce heat to simmer and braise 5 to 6 minutes. Cut butter into
small bits and melt into sauce then add in scallions. Squeeze the
juice of 1 lime over the pan.

Serve shrimp in shallow bowls, top with a generous scoop of rice and
garnish with generous spoonfuls of salsa. If you prefer lots of rice
to a little bit of seafood, reverse the order and fill bowl with rice,
top with shrimp and salsa.

Grilled Shrimp and Chorizo Skewers with Piquillo Gazpacho

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

16 extra large, 6 to 8 count, peeled and deveined shrimp
Coarse salt
1 lemon, zested and 1/2 lemon, juiced
Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling
1 package (3/4-pound) chorizo cut into 16 thick slices on an angle
(recommended: Gaspar's)
1 generous handful flat-leaf parsley
1 generous handful cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, cracked from skin
1 jar piquillo, Spanish roasted peppers - available in most markets,
roasted red peppers may be substituted, about 1 cup packed, drained
1 can (28-ounces) fire-roasted tomatoes, diced or crushed
1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled, chopped
2 ribs celery from heart, chopped
2 thick slices crusty bread, chopped
1 tablespoons hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco) for medium to spicy
heat level, adjust to your own taste

Preheat grill or grill pan over medium high heat.

Place shrimp in shallow dish and season with salt, lemon juice and a
liberal drizzle on extra-virgin olive oil, just enough to coat the
shrimp. Skewer 4 shrimp alternating with 4 slices of chorizo on each
skewer.

Place 2 tablespoons, a palm full, of parsley on the cutting board with
the lemon zest. Add 1/2 palm full of cilantro leaves to the pile as
well as 1 clove of garlic. Finely chop this mixture and reserve for
sprinkling over shrimp and gazpacho.

Place remaining herbs and garlic in the food processor or a large
blender with peppers, tomatoes, chopped vegetables, bread and hot
sauce and process until smooth.

Grill shrimp and chorizo 3 to 4 minutes on each side until shrimp is
firm and opaque. Serve small bowls of gazpacho with shrimp skewers
resting across the top of the bowls for dipping and dunking. Garnish
with reserved parsley, cilantro and garlic mixture.