Chile-Garlic Shrimp
By Morgan BollingPublished on June 12, 2020
Time
50 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
One ounce of guajillo chiles is about four chiles. New Mexican chiles can be substituted for the guajillos. We prefer untreated shrimp—those not treated with sodium or additives such as sodium tripolyphosphate. Most frozen E-Z peel shrimp have been treated (check the ingredient list). If you're using treated shrimp, omit the ½ teaspoon of salt for seasoning the shrimp in step 3. Serve with warm tortillas or rice.
Instructions
- Using kitchen shears, stem guajillos, cut in half lengthwise, and discard seeds. Cut guajillos into 1-inch pieces. Place guajillos in 12-inch nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer guajillos to blender jar and process until finely ground, about 2 minutes. Add water, Worcestershire, chopped garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes; set aside.
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and sprinkle with cumin, cayenne, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of shrimp in even layer and cook, without stirring, until beginning to brown on underside but still raw on top, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining shrimp, then transfer to bowl with first batch.
- Reduce heat to low and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sliced garlic to now-empty skillet. Cook until garlic is fragrant and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved chile sauce and shrimp and cook until shrimp is just cooked through, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in lime juice and butter until butter is melted, about 1 minute. Transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Time
50 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We were after a Mexican-inspired meal of plump, juicy shrimp simmered in a deeply flavored, garlicky, chile-infused sauce. To start, we toasted dried guajillo chiles to bring out their fruity, lightly spicy flavor. We then blended the chiles with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and water to make a thick, crimson sauce. To control the cooking of the shrimp, we cooked them partially in two batches to lightly caramelize their exteriors. We then finished cooking them by gently simmering them in the bold chile sauce. A couple pats of butter added richness, and a squirt of lime juice and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro provided welcome freshness.
Before You Begin
One ounce of guajillo chiles is about four chiles. New Mexican chiles can be substituted for the guajillos. We prefer untreated shrimp—those not treated with sodium or additives such as sodium tripolyphosphate. Most frozen E-Z peel shrimp have been treated (check the ingredient list). If you're using treated shrimp, omit the ½ teaspoon of salt for seasoning the shrimp in step 3. Serve with warm tortillas or rice.
Instructions
- Using kitchen shears, stem guajillos, cut in half lengthwise, and discard seeds. Cut guajillos into 1-inch pieces. Place guajillos in 12-inch nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer guajillos to blender jar and process until finely ground, about 2 minutes. Add water, Worcestershire, chopped garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes; set aside.
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and sprinkle with cumin, cayenne, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of shrimp in even layer and cook, without stirring, until beginning to brown on underside but still raw on top, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining shrimp, then transfer to bowl with first batch.
- Reduce heat to low and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sliced garlic to now-empty skillet. Cook until garlic is fragrant and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved chile sauce and shrimp and cook until shrimp is just cooked through, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in lime juice and butter until butter is melted, about 1 minute. Transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
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