Creamy Garlic Shrimp with Parmesan

[RegC]

The Dinner

There are few things that I enjoy more than kicking back and smoking a good cigar, as you can probably guess by the title one of them is food. Whether enjoying a dinner out or cooking at home, a great meal is like a cigar in that it impacts the four of the five senses: sight, taste, touch, and smell. You can probably throw in “hearing” when you factor in the conversations you can have while enjoying a meal or cigar.                                             

 No matter if you’re a beginner or a pro in the kitchen this recipe should come out great if you follow these steps. If the thought of peeling and deveining shrimp horrifies you, there are other options at your grocery store in the frozen seafood section. You will still want to buy raw shrimp if you decide to buy frozen pre-peeled.

Now it’s time to get started, make sure you have everything you need available and ready to go. Looking around for measuring cups or ingredients can take your attention away from the stove and we don’t want anything to burn.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 pound of shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• Salt, pepper, and old bay season to taste
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 6 cloves of garlic minced
• ½ cup of dry wine or chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups of light cream
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with salt, pepper, and old bay and sauté for 1-2 minutes per side, until cooked through and pink. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. In the same skillet melt the butter. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds or so, until garlic becomes fragrant. Pour in wine or broth, allow to reduce to half while scraping any bit from the bottom of the skillet.
3. Reduce heat to low-medium heat, add the cream and bring to a simmer, while stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the parmesan cheese and allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes or until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens.
5. Add the shrimp back to the skillet, stir to cover with the sauce, and sprinkle with parsley.
6. Serve over pasta, rice, or your favorite vegetables.
7. As a finishing touch sprinkle with grated parmesan.

The After Dinner Cigars

Now it’s time to kick back with a cigar and reward yourself for making a great dish. When choosing a cigar for this pairing you’ll want to choose something in the mild to medium range, if mild to medium isn’t your thing a medium to full-bodied can work. Shrimp which can be sweet on the palate can be overpowered by full-bodied cigars. When pairing cigars with food it’s not just the main component of the dish as it is the totality of the ingredients that make up the dish and how those playoff the tasting notes of the cigars that we smoke.

The Royal Return Queen’s Pearls by the Adventura cigar brand is a medium-bodied cigar that redefines how we look at Connecticut-wrapped cigars. Featuring 5-year aged premium tobacco with Ecuadorian, Nicaraguan, and Dominican fillers, an Ecuadorian binder wrapped in a beautiful Connecticut shade wrapper. The cigar goes through another 4-months of aging before being released. ADVentura The Royal Return Queen's Pearls | Cigora

Davidoff cigars are a must-have for the most discerning cigar aficionados and after a meal like this, you’ll want to spend a little extra and savor the experience. I’ve chosen the Davidoff Signature, to pair with this meal. Adorned in a stunning Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over Dominican binders and fillers, has a distinct floral aroma, and when lit, produces creaminess, roasted nuts, and earthy undertones. Davidoff Signature Series | Cigora - Cigars

In conclusion

I hope that you enjoyed making this meal and trying the cigars that I recommended or venturing out and choosing your own. Let us know how your meal turned out and post your pictures of the finished product. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or recipe pairings that you would like to see in the future.

[KevinI]

I normally would've never tried to make this because I am no chef.

BUT I had the courage to try it out after this walkthrough - it turned out REALLY good!

Awesome recipe and very easy-to-follow write up. I will be making this regularly from now on!

[Anonymous]

Looks delish! 

[MatthewFolger]

Sounds like an excellent pairing!

[JKCIGAR]

Looks awesome!