Peel-and-Eat Shrimp with Barbecue Spices

• Recipe by Bobby Flay

During his visit to Savannah, Bobby Flay ate as much Gulf shrimp and barbecue as humanly possible, then came back to New York and created a recipe that cleverly combines them both. He loves to rub large peel-and-eat shrimp with a barbecue-inspired blend of paprika, chile powder, sugar and cumin before sautéing them.

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet Pimentón de la Vera (Spanish smoked paprika)
2. 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
3. 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
4. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
5. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
7. 8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
8. 2 pounds large shrimp, deveined but not shelled
9. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
10. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
11. 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix the paprika with the ancho chile powder, brown sugar, cumin, salt, pepper and garlic. Add the shrimp and toss to coat in the spices.
2. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in 2 large skillets until shimmering. Add the shrimp to the skillets and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until curled and white throughout, about 4 minutes. Add half of the butter and scallions to each skillet and swirl them in. Transfer the shrimp to a platter and serve.

Notes

BEER

These sweet but fiery shrimp really need a cold beer—ideally, a fresh, hoppy lager—to counter their heat. The well-known Dutch brewery Grolsch recently released a light lager with refreshingly tangy herbal notes. For something with more power and richness, look for Mahr's Unfiltered Lager, from Germany.
If you don't want to fuss with shells, you can use shelled shrimp. Cut the cumin in half and cook over moderate heat.