Although they don’t necessarily come from the same neighborhood, the robust taste of a Stout or Porter can blend well with the rich flavors of Cajun food. Serve this shrimp with lots of chilled brew (a malty beer, like Oktoberfest or a Brown Ale) and crusty French bread.

Prep time: About 15 min

Cook time: About 45 min

Yield: 6 servings

4 tablespoons olive or canola oil

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped scallions

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

3 cloves garlic, mashed

1 cup hot chicken broth

1 cup Stout or roasty-tasting Porter

8 fresh Roma or whole canned tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tablespoon shrimp/crab boil (a commercial spice mixture for shellfish), finely ground

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2-1/2 pounds raw, peeled, deveined large shrimp

4 cups cooked rice for serving

  1. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in flour and cook until browned, stirring constantly, about 10 to 15 minutes.

  2. Add onions, scallions, and celery to the flour, cooking an additional 5 minutes. Add parsley and garlic, cooking an additional 2 minutes.

  3. Slowly stir in hot broth and then beer and tomatoes, stirring constantly. Add shrimp boil, paprika, and pepper. Cover and simmer slowly for 30 minutes.

  4. Add salt or cayenne to taste. Toss in shrimp and cook just until shrimp turn pink (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and serve immediately over rice.

Per serving: Calories 425 (From Fat 108); Fat 12g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 281mg; Sodium 832mg; Carbohydrate 43g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 35g.

Of course, fresh crawfish are also wonderful served in this sauce. If you enjoy mussels, nestle scrubbed mussels into the sauce 15 minutes into the simmer time. Cover and continue cooking an additional 20 minutes or until mussels have opened and are fully cooked.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book authors:

Marty Nachel is a beer educator, an award-winning homebrewer, a BJCP Certified Beer Judge, on the panel of professional beer judges at the Great American Beer Festival, and a former beer evaluator at the Beverage Testing Institute. He is also the founder and administrator of the Ale-Conner Beer Certification Program.

Steve Ettlinger is the author of seven books, most of which are about food and food-related subjects. His most recent is Twinkie, Deconstructed.

This article can be found in the category: