Camarones a La Mexicana
Ingredients
1 pound extra large shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon jalapeño powder
*if you can’t find jalapeño powder, substitute with Cayenne or chipotle
Olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
You will also need
1/2 cup diced white onion
1 to 2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Directions
After cleaning shrimp, transfer to a plate and using paper towels soak up any excess moisture. Removing the excess moisture helps the shrimp sear much better when ready to cook. Season with the dry spices listed, drizzle with olive oil and stir to combine. Set aside.
Prep your peppers, onion, garlic and tomatoes. Preheat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet to medium/high heat for 5 minutes.
When pan is nice and hot, add the shrimp and spread out evenly. The shrimp will cook quickly, so turn over after one minute and cook for another minute. Before removing from pan, drizzle in the 1 1/2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Remove the shrimp from the pan. I know it may seem a waste of time to remove shrimp, only to add it back in, but doing this will prevent the shrimp from overcooking.
In that same pan, add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil, onions, chile peppers and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper and saute for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, pinch of salt and pepper and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the shrimp back in along with fresh lime juice and cilantro. Toss to combine just until shrimp is warm. Remove from heat and serve right away. Serve over rice or with tortillas for tacos.
