Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Easy Appetizers: Chipotle Shrimp

First of all, it's pronounced chip-OAT-lay, not chip-OADLE like I thought before I moved down the street from the ubiquitous purveyor of gourmet burritos and tacos.

These make a delightful starter, and one that I can count on whipping up at the last minute. I always have frozen shrimp in my freezer and a can of chipotle chiles in my pantry. And usually cilantro. These would be a great base for shrimp fajitas, too, with some fresh avocado and corn tortillas. The avocado would really pacify the palate. These shrimp are muy caliente. Anyway, the recipe is adapted from Mexican Everyday, a fantastic cookbook from Rick Bayless.

Chipotle Shrimp
Print recipe only here

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS
1 pound medium-large peeled and deveined shrimp
One 15-ounce can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes
2-3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1 tablespoon of adobo sauce (reserved from canned chiles)
1 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup water or stock
salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
2/3 T fresh cilantro, chopped

METHOD
Puree the tomatoes, chiles and adobo in a food processor and process until smooth. I use my mini-prep processor for this.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute gently for one minute. Add tomato-chile sauce. Bring to a boil and cook five minutes. Add broth or water and salt and bring back to a boil.

Add shrimp and cook 3-5 minutes, adding more water or stock if it gets to thick.

Transfer to plates when cooked through. Top with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

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