Easy Camarones a la Diabla
User Reviews
5
12 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
35 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
322 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mexican
Easy Camarones a la Diabla
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Easy Camarones a la Diabla features raw shrimp cooked in a spicy and smoky red chile sauce made from dried ancho, guajillo, chile de árbol, and chipotle peppers along with garlic, onions, tomatoes, and spices. Shrimp shells are simmered to make a flavorful broth that enhances the sauce depth. The dish balances heat with savory, slightly sweet notes, garnished with fresh cilantro. The shrimp are deveined and cooked either directly in the sauce or pan-fried briefly before simmering, delivering tender, richly flavored seafood with a vibrant red sauce.
Description
This recipe for Easy Camarones a la Diabla highlights fresh raw shrimp that are cleaned by removing the vein and optionally the second vein under the shell. The shells are used to prepare a shrimp broth that imparts subtle seafood flavor to the sauce. The sauce is a blend of several dried chilies—ancho, guajillo, chile de árbol—and chipotle chiles in adobo combined with garlic, chopped onion, tomatoes, allspice, shrimp bouillon, brown sugar, butter, and ketchup. Olive oil is used to sauté the aromatics, creating a spicy, rich, and vibrant red sauce.
The shrimp can be cooked in the sauce to finish or pan-fried first with butter, onion, and garlic, then added to the simmering sauce to finish cooking. The final dish is garnished with fresh cilantro, offering a bold, smoky, and moderately spicy seafood entrée. Careful note is made that freezing is not recommended for shrimp texture and that the sauce can be made ahead and reheated gently with some water.
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Ingredients
For the Shrimp Broth:
- 2 pounds Shrimp shells on; you can substitute with shelled and deveined shrimp - see Notes, fresh, raw
- 2 cups water
- ¼ yellow onion save the rest for the sauce, large
- 1 garlic smashed, clove
For the A la Diabla Sauce:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil or olive oil
- 2 to 3 ancho chile wiped clean, seeds and ribs removed, dried
- 6 guajillo chile wiped clean, seeds and ribs removed, dried
- 6 to 8 dried chile de árbol , wiped clean and de-stemmed
- 3 to 5 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce adjust for preferred heat level, canned
- 5 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 yellow onion , chopped (use the remaining onion from the shrimp broth)
- 3 whole allspice or ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 4 Roma tomato chopped, or 1 (15 oz/425g) can crushed or diced tomatoes
- ½ cup water or fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons shrimp bouillon (or substitute with kosher salt, adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup ketchup , adjust to taste
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped, for garnish, fresh leaves
Instructions
- Prepare the Shrimp: Make a shallow cut along the back of the shrimp to remove the vein, which is the shrimp's intestine. There's also a second vein on the underside (the nervous system) that can be removed if you prefer, but it's not necessary. After cleaning, place the shrimp in ice water to keep them fresh while you finish the rest. Once all the shrimp are peeled and deveined, rinse them under cold water.
- Make the Shrimp Broth: In a small pot, boil the reserved shrimp shells with 2-½ cups water, a piece of onion, a garlic clove, and a few cilantro leaves for about 5 minutes. Strain and reserve the broth for the sauce.
- Prepare the Chiles: Wipe any dust off the dried ancho, guajillo, and chile de árbol. Remove the seeds and stems from the ancho and guajillo chiles. For the chile de árbol, just remove the stems. Set the chiles aside.
- Cook the Aromatics: Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add oil, and saute the garlic for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook until it turns translucent about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and add all the dried chiles, stirring constantly to prevent burning, about 5 minutes. While stirring, add a few peppercorns. When the chiles soften, add chopped tomatoes. Once the tomatoes soften, add the shrimp broth and let everything simmer until the chiles are fully softened for blending. After about 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.
- Blend the Sauce: Transfer the chile mixture to a 64-ounce blender, add ½ cup of water or fresh orange juice, and blend until thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Pause the blender a few times to scrape down the sides and bottom of the jar with a rubber spatula for an even consistency. Be sure to leave the hole in the blender lid open, covering it loosely with a clean kitchen towel to let steam escape safely. Once blended, strain the sauce into a bowl using a sieve to remove any solids.
- Cook the Sauce: Heat oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Strain the sauce into the skillet, add butter and ketchup, and season with shrimp bouillon (or salt), allspice, and a pinch of sugar to balance the flavors. Adjust seasoning to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to let the flavors meld. Don't forget to taste and adjust the salt if needed.
- Add the Shrimp: Add the shrimp to the sauce and cook until the shrimp are fully cooked, about 6 to 7 minutes.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired, and serve.
Equipments used:
Notes
- Use the shells from raw shrimp to make a quick broth that adds depth to the sauce; substitute with water or clam juice if using shelled shrimp.
- Store leftovers of shrimp and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently.
- The sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and reheated with added water before cooking shrimp.
- To pan-fry shrimp, sauté with butter, sliced onion, and minced garlic until halfway cooked, then simmer in sauce until done.
- Freezing this dish is not recommended as shrimp texture will suffer; prepare fresh when possible.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
12 reviews
Excellent
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