- 1 1/2 – 2 lb. shrimp, shelled and deveined, shells reserved
- 1 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/2 lb. unsalted butter PLUS 10 T. chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper, or to taste
- 1 T. fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp. dried leaves (do NOT use ground)
- 1 T. fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried leaves (do NOT use ground)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 T. minced garlic
- 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 c. beer, at room temperature
- 1/4 c. catsup, preferably Heinz
Add
the shrimp shells to the stock in a pan, cover and simmer for one hour.
Strain out the shells. Measure 1 c. of the stock and set aside.
Melt
the lb. butter in a very large skillet over low heat. If the
skillet isn’t big enough to hold the shrimp in one layer, use 2
skillets. It’s important not to crowd the pan. Add the spices, herbs,
Worcestershire, and garlic and stir to combine. This may be done ahead
of time. Have the remaining ingredients in bowls at hand. Heat the
butter/spice mixture over high heat. When hot, add the shrimp and cook
for 1-2 minutes (depending on the size of the shrimp), shaking the pan
instead of stirring. Add the stock and cook another 2 minutes. Add the
beer and catsup and cook a minute longer. Remove from the heat and
whisk in the chilled butter a few cubes at a time.
Serves 4-8 as a main course, 12 or more as an appetizer.
Adapted from a recipe in Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen.
This article appears in Feb 4-10, 2010.
