Strawberry Barbecued Shrimp

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Yields: 4 Servings

Comment:
Although barbecue shrimp is normally baked in an oven, I have revised the recipe to cook it a la minute on the stovetop.  The ingredients used to create the flavor, whether in the oven or skillet, are basically the same, however the skillet allows one to cook smaller serving sizes at the drop of a hat.  The addition of strawberry beer and strawberry purée make this dish a worthy celebration of our wonderful strawberry season.

Ingredients:
24 (16-20 count) shrimp, head on
¼ cup olive oil
¼ pound butter
¼ cup slivered garlic
½ cup sliced green onions
2 (1-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary
2 tbsps chopped fresh basil
2 tbsps chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup Abita Strawberry beer
¼ cup strawberry purée
¼ pound cold butter, chipped
Creole seasoning to taste
Louisiana hot sauce to taste

Method:
Peel the tail of the shrimp, leaving the head intact. Using a paring knife, devein each shrimp. In a heavy-bottomed 12” sauté pan, heat olive oil and ¼ pound butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic, green onions, rosemary, basil, oregano and thyme. Sauté 2-3 minutes to infuse flavor into butter. Turn heat to high and add Worcestershire sauce. Add shrimp and using kitchen tongs move shrimp around until slightly pink and curled. Add Abita beer and reduce to ½ volume. Stir in strawberry purée. Swirling pan constantly, add chipped butter allowing it to blend into mixture, creating the sauce. Swirling the pan is necessary to keep butter from separating in the skillet. Remove immediately from heat and season to taste with Creole seasoning and hot sauce. In large soup bowls, place six shrimp and a generous serving of barbecue sauce. I recommend serving this with hot French bread. NOTE: It is important to “suck the heads” to get that authentic taste of Bayou country.