Shrimp is one of the quickest things you can cook, making them a great choice for any day of the week. These creamy, spicy, succulent shrimp come together in 10 minutes and they make a great taco! But they can also be a delicious pairing for pasta or a side of rice or quinoa.
I confess, for the longest time I was not a fan of shrimp, but I’ve come to realize it’s the small shrimp I don’t like; I prefer the larger, meatier ones, so I tend to buy the wild Argentinian pink shrimp, or like in this case, the large, 16-20 per pound size. They cook in 2-3 minutes, so it is important to have your mise en place done so you can get through the recipe quickly.
For this recipe, there are a couple of things that I do to simply my prep. First of all, defrost the shrimp on a small tray in the fridge overnight - the tray will catch any liquid that invariably leaks out from the bag, saving you the cleanup job after. Second, when I buy a can of chipotle chiles in adobo, I purée the whole thing and then store in a jar in the fridge. That way, I don’t have to chop (they stain your boards horribly!) when I need them. I usually have crema or crème fraiche on hand, but you can use whipping cream or sour cream; if you use whipping cream, you will have to remove the shrimp from the pan before you add it, to give the cream a chance to reduce without the shrimp overcooking. Just let it boil down and once you have the right consistency, add the shrimp and finish your dish. Use whatever tequila you have on hand. I usually drink a reposado tequila, so that is what I use, but white or silver works great. I would not use an aged tequila here, but if that’s all you have, go for it! Other than that, this is a super simple dish to make.
Camarones Enchipotlados al Tequila
Creamy Chipotle Shrimp with Tequila
340g raw 16-20 shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
3-4 Tbsp of your favourite tequila
1/2 cup crema, crème fraîche, sour cream or whipping cream
2-3 tsp chipotles in adobo, minced, or more to taste
4 Tbsp chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
Corn tortillas for serving
In medium bowl, toss shrimp with salt and pepper to taste.
In large frying pan, melt butter over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook for one minute, just until fragrant - make sure it does not burn.
Add seasoned shrimp and cook for one minute per side - they should still be raw inside.
Add tequila and ignite to flambé. Let flames subside as you shake the pan.
Immediately add crema and chipotles and quickly stir shrimp into sauce.
Add cilantro and serve immediately with corn tortillas.
Serves 2-3.