Saturday, April 7, 2012

Chipotle Shrimp

For the next six months me and the other folks at I Heart Cooking Clubs will be cooking up the recipes of Rick Bayless every week.  I've known of Rick Bayless for quite some time, but really grew to love him when I watched him on Top Chef Masters. I was so glad when he won as he really did shine above the other chefs, both with his cooking and his charming personality.  You don't have to watch Rick Bayless very long to learn that he is a real class act.  A stand up guy.  I admire that.

Since I love to cook shrimp dishes I went ahead with this Chipotle Shrimp for my first Rick Bayless recipe.  In his cookbook, Mexican Everyday, Rick says that chipotle shrimp is very popular along the Veracruz coast of Mexico and that there is sure to be a version of it on every restaurant menu.  I can see why.  This dish delivers just the right punch of heat without overpowering the delicate shrimp.  With very few ingredients it was simple to put together.  We enjoyed ours served over pasta, but it is equally as good all on it's own.

*Also included below are a couple different riffs, including a vegetarian option.
Chipotle Shrimp
(Camarones Enchipotlados)
 Adapted From Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless
Serves 4

One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted), drained
2-3 canned chipotle chiles en adobo
1 tablespoon chipotle canning sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or crushed
About 1-1/2 cups fish or chicken broth or water
salt
1 to 1-1/4 pounds medium-large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail left on if you wish
About 1/4 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish

 
Pour the drained tomatoes into a blender or food processor.  Add the chipotle chiles and chipotle canning sauce.  Process until smooth.

In a very large (12-inch skillet), heat the oil over medium.  Add the garlic and stir until fragrant and golden, about 1 minute.  Pour in the tomato mixture.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.  Add enough broth or water to achieve a light tomato sauce consistency.  Taste and season highly with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon.

Add the shrimp to the pan.  Cook, stirring nearly constantly, until the shrimp are cooked through, about 4 minutes.  Stir in a little more broth or water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Scoop onto dinner plates and sprinkle with cilantro.

A couple different simple riffs: 
Replace the shrimp with scallops

Going vegetarian:
In a very large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat.  Add 1 pound firm tofu, cut into 3/4 inch cubes, and stir until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes; remove to a plate.  Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, with 1 small eggplant, peeled and cubed; lower the heat to medium-high and stir-fry until the eggplant is soft but not mushy.  Add the recipe's garlic and stir for a minute, then add the tomato mixture, 3/4 cup veggie broth and 2 teaspoons soy sauce.  Add the tofu back to the pan, season and serve. 

24 comments:

  1. Hmmm...it was a pretty good bet to say you'd start things off with shrimp. Ha! These sound awesome. My tummy is actually growling now. Must go make dinner... :D

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  2. I've got a Bayless recipe bookmarked for next week!

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  3. This looks so delicious! We love shrimps and I know my family would definitely love this! A great "Rick Bayless" start-off!!

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  4. I follow Rick on twitter and he always seems to be such a normal, personable guy! Love that in a celebrity chef. :P This shrimp sounds so tasty! Chipotle rocks my world, all the time, every time.

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  5. Yum, this must pack a punch with the chipotles. What a gorgeous photo Kim. This is my kind of food.

    Happy Easter to you and your family,
    Sam

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  6. Kim you made another tempting shrimp dish, i still haven't forgotten about the last one and now i have to put this on my to cook list too.( if i can find chipotles or a great substitute)

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  7. Mmm, these do look delicious! I'll meet you half way to Kentucky and bring a few tortillas - we can make wraps together!

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  8. This looks amazing and I can picture soaking up all that sauce with some warm tortillas! I also love the vegetarian option because I would love this with shrimp or with tofu and eggplant!

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  9. Yum, Kim! This looks like a great start to the next six months.

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  10. I wish I could that...it looks so good. Those chipotle chiles would have me in pain but I can eat shrimp without. Very nice photo, Kim.

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  11. This looks amazing. I'd love to try both this version and the veggie one too. ;-) What a great recipe to start out on--I figured we'd see shrimps from you soon--he has a lot of great seafood recipes.

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  12. Wow, this shrimp looks divine! Love the sauce with it.

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  13. I do like this all spiced up and ready to go. And you know I love easy. It's a lovely change from my scampi and would probably go a long way to helping my sinuses!

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  14. Rick Bayless rocks! This dish looks really good...Spicy too, just the way I like it. He has a traditional Mexican recipe for margaritas that are super, and would be perfect with this dish.

    Take care.

    velva

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  15. Oh yes I could go for this...glad you didn't do the tofu option! Hope your family had a great Easter.

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  16. The photo alone made me copy the recipe, Kim! Wow. Looks wonderful.

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  17. wow...very very delicious and tempting.Lovely presentation.I liked your blog very much.Happy to follow you dear.Do visit my blog in your free time.
    http://www.foodydelight.com/

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  18. Rick Bayless is an excellent choice, I'd love to cook through his cookbook someday too. This chipotle shrimp looks superb. The smoky flavors against the seafood must be so good and best of all the recipe looks simple.

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  19. This is one of my fav recipes, so glad to see it featured on your blog. happy to cook along with you!

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  20. Chipotle shrimp sounds excellent and the picture looks rich and saucy. I might have to make this soon, it sounds "summery".

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