"Rachael Ray's Creamed Corn with Sausage & Shrimp"

Ingredients

• 8 ears corn, shucked
• 1 cup half-and-half, or 3/4 cup whole milk plus 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• Salt
• 2 tbsp. plus a drizzle of olive or vegetable oil
• ½ lb. andouille sausage or cured chorizo (casings removed if needed), sliced or chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper or poblano chile, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 small white or red onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery with leafy top, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 lb. peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 cup lager beer
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle