BARBECUE SHRIMP (NEW ORLEANS)

BARBECUE SHRIMP (NEW ORLEANS) image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

20 ounces medium or large shrimp, shell on
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
4 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup lager beer
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 lemon slice (rind and fruit)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced

Steps:

Peel the shrimp: Hold one shrimp with the head-end facing you and the tail end away from you. Insert the tip of small, clean kitchen scissors in the top 1/8-inch of the shrimp body and clip through the shell and the very top of the body down the shrimp's back to the tail. Pull the shell away from the body (it will come away in 2 pieces) and set it aside. Rinse the shrimp thoroughly under cool running water to remove the black and/or orange digestive tract. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry, toss with the pepper and salt, and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and sauté until translucent, 6 minutes. Add the shrimp shells and garlic and sauté 45 seconds. Add the beer, Worcestershire sauce, peppercorns, lemon slice, oregano, pepper flakes, and bay leaf and 1/2 cup water, cover and bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer until reduced by half, 15 minutes. Strain the sauce through a mesh sieve into a bowl and then return it to the saucepan; set aside. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook half of the shrimp until they are just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to a large plate. Cook remaining shrimp the same way. Bring the sauce in the saucepan to a bare simmer over medium heat. Add the shrimp and any accumulated juices and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter in 3 additions, swirling to melt it before adding more. (Do not place the pan back over heat or the sauce will become oily instead of creamy.) Serve the shrimp and sauce over rice or creamy polenta sprinkled with the green onions. Calories: 256; protein: 5.5 g; total fat: 18.8 g; saturated fat: 8.4 g; cholesterol: 72.0 mg; sodium: 826 mg; carbohydrates: 13.5 g; fiber: 1.2 g