Drew's Takes Down Bobby Flay with Voodoo Shrimp Recipe

Written by Chelsea Naso.

It's official: Bobby Flay can't do voodoo like Drew do.

In a "throwdown" challenge Thursday on the waterfront in Keyport, hundreds gathered in the summer heat to watch The Food Network's Bobby Flay attempt to out-cook Drew Araneo, owner and head chef of Drew's Bayshore Bistro. The recipe? Araneo's renowned voodoo shrimp over jalapeno corn bread.
Araneo wouldn't share the full recipe for his New Orleans-inspired dish, but calmly listed off some of the ingredients while slowly boiling down beer for a cream sauce. He used a Black & Tan beer, tossed in some Worcestershire sauce, blackened the shrimp and added a touch of cream to the beer once it boiled down.

In the meantime, Flay busily tossed ingredients in his frying pan and put his own spin on the voodoo shrimp. He opted for Voodoo Beer, a Bobby Flay spice rub, blackened shrimp and chose to serve it over grits instead of corn bread.

Flay's creative take on Araneo's dish, however, only won over one of three judges. 

The event, sponsored by New Jersey's Stronger Than The Storm tourism campaign, shined a spotlight on Keyport's recovery since Hurricane Sandy. The borough was hit by a 14-foot storm surge and 28 businesses were destroyed, including Drew's Bayshore Bistro. A total of 25 businesses have reopened and 7 new businesses have opened since then. 

Drew's reopened in May at a new location down the street from his original West Front Street restaurant, at 25 Church Street.

Watch a clip from the competition. 
Tell us: Have you ever tried Araneo's voodoo shrimp?