Runs With Beer

I’d like a really good beer-battered shrimp recipe or just a good ol beer batter in general. Something that is pretty simple and easy. Thanks

Shrimp is a tasty dish as well as nutritious. It is the the most popular shellfish in the United States. Fortunately for those of us who love shrimp it is available year-round. People use shrimp for salads, main dishes, appetizers and ingredients in soup. Here is a little shrimp history lesson for you. The word shrimp comes from the Middle English word shrimpe, which means “pygmy” or “small”. Obviously it is referring to the size of the crustacean. The Chinese n the 7th century relied on shrimp as their main ingredient in most dishes.

Marco Polo in 1280 was amazed at the abundance of seafood in Chinese marketplaces, including our favorite, shrimp. For Americans the harvesting of shrimp dates back to the 17th century, where Louisiana bayou residents used seines up to 2,000 feet in circumference to scoop up the shrimp. The use of mechanical shrimping devises did not come about until after 1917.

Fast froward to 2009 and you will see that the US harvests over 650 million pounds of shrimp a year. This is more than any other country. The shrimp demand is still more than the 650 million pounds can provide. The United States also imports an additional 200 million pounds of shrimp a year.

That is a lot of shrimp!

Here is a recipe I hope you will like. It is one of my family’s favorites. Enjoy

Dark Beer Boiled Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 pounds Shrimp, cleaned and deveined, shells on

2 cups dark Beer, your favorite

2 small Onions, sliced

1 clove Garlic

1 Bay Leaf

3 whole Peppercorns

2 Celery ribs, cut into pieces

2 tsp Salt

1/2 Lemon, quartered

Directions:

Pour beer in large pot and add onion, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, celery, and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add lemon and shrimp and simmer another 12 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool, and drain. Peel off shells from boiled shrimp, leaving tails intact. Arrange around a platter with tails up and your favorite dipping sauce in the middle. Place lemon wedges around and serve.