Beer Steamed Ridgeback Shrimp
(from Chef Michael Hutchings, local Santa Barbara chef, and Lexi’s Kitchen, a local and amazing blog!)
Lexi says:These shrimp are not really shrimp. They are actually prawns. And these guys are juicier and sweeter than any other shrimp or prawn. Once they are plucked from their briny home in the Santa Barbara Channel they need to be cooked as soon as possible. They deteriorate rather quickly.
All I did was pour a bottle of beer in a pan put them in the steamer basket and steamed them until they were opaque. I only steamed them for about 3 or 4 minutes. Don’t over cook them. I served them au natural (think peel and eat) and had a small bowl of melted butter on the side. They really don’t need the butter. They are buttah! I personally like them plain with a squeeze of lemon.
If the eyeballs turn you off, you can pull the heads off and just cook the tails….but I think they are kinda cute!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds large shrimp
- 1.5 cup beer
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 tablespoon shallots
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Preparation
Place all the ingredients except the shrimp in a gallon sized pot fitted with a lid and simmer for two minutes. Add the shrimp to the beer mixture and bring to a boil. If you have one, you can use a steamer basket to suspend the shrimp above the beer mixture. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the shrimp turns bright pink and feels firm to the touch. Serve with lemon!
