Kurt's Thoughts

Well, the addition of a carrot to the broth was a success from the last batch. 

FRESHEN UP THE ROSEMARY!
Today, we are adding fresh Rosemary at the recommendation of my friend Stephanie Lemus.  She says that the 2 tablespoons of FRESH Rosemary instead of dried makes a huge difference.  I’m curious as to what sort of difference it makes but nonetheless trust her judgment when it comes to food considering I’m an engineering hack and she’s an award-winning cook that’s actually competed for money.  I, on the other hand, am still trying to find people to eat my experiments other than my wife.

THE GREAT PARMESAN EXPERIMENT
I also added a single tablespoon of parmesan cheese believing that this might be the savory taste that is missing.  It clearly needs something to create a more complete flavor and I’m hoping this is it.  I am continuing to use a bottle of Stella Artois as the beer of choice for this broth however the only reason I haven’t shifted to a deeper beer like Guinness is because I don’t have any and keep forgetting to buy some at the local grocery.  Maybe next batch.

With about 2 cups of the original batch just mixed, we now have the complete broth simmering for the next hour or so.  I’m eagerly anticipating the outcome of the great “Parmesan” experiment as it could be a big departure from what I’m used to. 

So for those keeping score, this is batch #5:
(Recent changes have been highlighted in BOLD)

Killer Shrimp
(version .03)

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ small onion, diced
• 1 celery rib, diced
• 1 moderate sized carrot, diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, minced
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoon FRESH – not dried – Rosemary
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (3/4 teaspoon if PREVIOUS batch of Killer Shrimp is available)
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (3/4 teaspoon if PREVIOUS batch of Killer Shrimp is available)
• 1 tablespoon of Parmesan Cheese
• 8oz clam juice (was 1 cup clam juice supposed to change to 2 cups but switched back to 8 oz)
• 3 tablespoons (3 oz) of tomato paste (was 1/2 (6 ounce) can tomato paste)
• 1 cup beer (ale)
• 1 ½ pounds shrimp, with tails
• 1 (1 pound) loaf French bread
• 2 cups of PREVIOUS batch of Killer Shrimp

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fry onion, celery, carrots, garlic in the butter until fragrant and soft in a large pot.
2. Take all the spices (rosemary, thyme, pepper, celery seed, fennel seed, pepper flakes) and cut/crush them enough that they remain whole but are broken to more easily release flavor.
3. Pour in broth, and mix in rosemary, thyme, pepper, celery seed, fennel seed, clam juice, pepper flakes, & tomato paste. Place cover on pot to maintain consistency.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir beer & cheese into the broth mixture as well as PREVIOUS batch of Killer Shrimp and continue to simmer and occasionally stir 2 hours.
6. Just before serving, stir in shrimp. Continue cooking 3 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque.
7. Serve with bread.