| Although tacos and tequila invariably loom large—as with everything else in 2021, it's a good year to rethink traditions. May we suggest shrimp and beer instead? A new cookbook from virtuoso Seattle chef Renee Erickson, Getaway: Food & Drink to Transport You (Abrams Books; $40) has a recipe that takes us to the beaches of Baja and redefines our classic American idea of shrimp cocktail.  Beer-braised shrimp cocktail calls for more beer. Source: Abrams Books There's no steroid-size shellfish perched alongside a mound of potent cocktail sauce or grated horseradish. Instead you get wild sweet shrimp poached in a bath of Mexican lager and dried chili to give it a refreshing and contrasting bitter bite. Then it's all chilled back down and piled in a bowl, where brightly flavored cilantro oil, thin fresh chili slices, refreshing tomato slices, and lots of lime join the party. The unlikely finishing touch? A plate of Saltine crackers. The following recipe is adapted from Getaway by Renee Erickson with Sara Dickerman.  Shrimp Cocktail With Tomato and Cilantro Oil Serves 6 - 1 cup chopped cilantro stems and leaves
- 1 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
- 2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp. seeded and roughly chopped serrano chile, plus 1 serrano, very thinly sliced
- 30 shell-on wild Gulf shrimp, size 16–20, deveined
- Two 12-oz. cans or bottles of light-bodied Mexican lager, like Tecate or Pacifico
- 1 dried ancho or guajillo chile
- 5 tbsp. lime juice, plus more to taste
- 1 medium tomato, cut into slim wedges, or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Saltine crackers, to serve
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the cilantro stems and turn off the heat. After 30 seconds, drain the stems, then let cool. In a blender, combine the stems, oil, ½ tsp. salt, and the roughly chopped serrano and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. In a medium saucepan, bring the beer, ancho, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Discard the chile.  The article's author mistakenly bought peeled shrimp for her first test. Don't try it: Peel-on shrimp is much better, based on a second test. Photographer: Kate Krader/Bloomberg Bring the beer mixture to a boil again. Place half the shrimp in the liquid, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the shellfish turn pink and the meat is just opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate, and put them in the refrigerator to cool. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. When the shrimp are cool, peel them and cut in half lengthwise. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the tomato, about ½ cup of the cilantro oil, the remaining 3 tablespoons lime juice, and ½ teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more cilantro oil, salt, or lime if desired. Sprinkle with the serrano slices and serve with Saltines.  As close as the New York-based article's author will get to a beach in Mexico anytime soon. Photographer: Kate Krader/Bloomberg In Other Delicious News One of the iconic Kenneth Stern monkey paintings being sold in the Le Cirque auction Source: Black Rock Galleries | 
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