Dinner tonight! Peel ‘n’ eat shrimp from the Hungry Cat

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If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty at dinner, you can’t go wrong with the peel ‘n’ eat shrimp recipe David Lentz of the Hungry Cat shared with us a few years back -- large Mexican white shrimp steamed in a spicy beer reduction. They take an hour or two to marinate, so you’ll need to plan ahead, but once you get the dish cooking it comes together in about a half hour, plenty of time for you to lay out the newspaper over the table and ready a stack of napkins!

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Peel-’n’-eat shrimp Total time: About 55 minutes, plus marinating time for the shrimp

Servings: About 5 servings (10 shrimp each)

Note: Adapted from chef David Lentz of the Hungry Cat. Mexican white shrimp are available at seafood markets and fine fish counters. Pabst or Tecate is recommended for the beer. The restaurant serves this dish with cocktail sauce.

2 1/2 pounds Mexican white shrimp, defrosted

4 (12-ounce cans) of beer, divided

2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

1 tablespoon Hungarian

paprika

2 tablespoons celery salt

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 head garlic

5 tablespoons best-quality olive oil, divided

1 large white onion, chopped

1 sprig rosemary

1 chile de arbol

2 lemons

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the contents of 1 can of beer. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

2. In a small bowl, combine the Old Bay, paprika, celery salt, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and ground ginger. Set aside.

3. With a sharp knife, cut the head of garlic (with the peel) in half crosswise. In a large stockpot heated over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chopped onion, all of the garlic, the rosemary and chile de arbol and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the spice blend and the juice of 1 lemon, stirring. Add the remaining beer and reduce the liquid by three-fourths over high heat, about 20 minutes.

4. Drain the shrimp and add them to the pot. Cover the pot, and steam just until the shrimp are cooked, 4 to 5 minutes over high heat. The shrimp will be ready when they turn white; be careful not to overcook them.

5. Remove the shrimp to a large baking sheet with sides and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle over more of the spice blend to taste (we used 2 tablespoons). Sprinkle with the parsley and the juice from the remaining lemon. Serve immediately.

Each serving: 279 calories; 36 grams protein; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 10 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 339 mg. cholesterol; 888 mg. sodium.