Beer Braised Shrimp and Sausage with Louisiana Salsa and Rice

... Cajun 'holy trinity' is the base for a chilly fresh salsa ...

Starting with a chop of celery, green pepper, and red onion, one can put together a nice little shrimp and sausage slurry that sure makes for a nice spicy supper ... meal made in thirty minutes while listening to pre-game chatter, ball game on at first pitch,  and feet up with bowls of Beer Braised Shrimp with Louisiana Salsa and Rice sitting in our laps ...  go Red Sox !!!

This is another Rachael Ray recipe that I played with ... her recipe has only the shrimp in the mix, but I went a step further and chopped some chorizo sausage into small bites ( it would have been even better with Andouille, but I only had chorizo in the fridge). Next time, I'll add a handful of frozen okra too.  That's what I love about seeing a recipe that rings your bells. That's also what I love about a fully stocked pantry and fridge. 

For this dish, the 'trinity' is divided three ways. Part of it goes into the rice to flavour the bed on which the final dish is nestled. Then, tomatoes, jalapeno, and lime juice is added to the remaining veg mix to make a spicy salsa. Of that mix, a third is used to make the shrimp and sausage slurry. The rest of the crisp cool salsa is used for topping the steaming supper bowl.

This was fantastic ... easy and nutritious. A one bowl meal that was perfect with cold beers and the ball game. If only the Red Sox had won the game ... maybe they need some little zippy red pepper flakes in their Gatorade !
 

Beer-Braised Shrimp and Sausage with Louisiana Salsa and Rice

slightly adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe

Serves 3 – or 2 with leftovers for lunch the next day

Ingredients:

2 large cloves garlic

4 mid-sized celery stalks, chopped small dice

1 mid-sized green pepper, chopped small dice

1 mid-sized red onion, chopped small dice

1 tablespoon, fresh thyme leaves stripped off the stems

2 tbsp. butter

¾ c. basmati rice or brown rice

1 ½ c. chicken stock

1 red or green jalapeno pepper, minced

2 handfuls cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved

1 lime, halved – ½ juiced, the other half, sliced into wedges for squeezing

Kosher salt

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ lb. large shrimp, shelled and de-veined

1 chorizo sausage link, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 tsp. Old bay seafood seasoning

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 heaping teaspoons of Thai chili garlic sauce or some other super spicy hot sauce

Half of a 12 oz. bottle gluten free beer (my friend Harold’s home brew works for us)

5 fresh green scallions, greens and whites sliced

Making the Dish:

1. Combine the garlic, onions, celery, green pepper, and thyme leaves in a bowl and toss to mix thoroughly.
2. Add 1 tbsp. of the butter measure to a heavy pot. Add one third of the vegetable mix and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes to soften the veg.
3. Add the rice to the pot and stir to coat with butter and veg juices . Add the stock, lower the heat and cover the pan to cook the rice for ten to fifteen minutes or until the rice is done. Turn off the heat, and tilt the cover to let the rice ‘dry a bit’. Set the pan aside.
4. While the rice is cooking, combine the rest of the vegetables with the jalapeno pepper, the tomatoes, and the lime juice. Salt with some Kosher salt, to taste. Set aside in the fridge.
5. In a large fry pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the sausage, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Toss to sear the sausage a bit and then add the shrimp, tossing to sear them also. Add a third of the salsa mix and soften the veg just a bit. Pour in the beer, stirring to soften the tomatoes a bit. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes.
6. Remove the cover and sir in the rest of the butter, sprinkle on the scallions and stir things well. Squeeze some lime juice over all.
7. Plate the warm rice, spoon on the sausage and shrimp, and top with the chilled salsa. Serve with cold beers or chilled wine and some crusty bread for sopping up the sauce.

Note: A couple handfuls of frozen okra pieces, added when you soften the vegetables and sausage would be a good addition, too.