Camarones a la Diabla

I L-O-V-E Camarones a la Diabla but probably not as much as Ryan. He could probably eat them every day for lunch and dinner if I let him. He fell in love with them at my cousin's restaurant and has been hooked ever since.

Loosely translated "Camarones a la Diabla" translates to Devil Shrimp as in ON FIRE! And they are! These little guys are very muy spicy! I would have probably never have thought of making these at home if it weren't for Ryan suggesting it or I should say if it weren't for Ryan getting tired of the same ol', same ol'. So I went in search of a good recipe online and found nothing or atleast nothing good. I was about to give up until I remembered about Rick Bayless and he didn't dissapoint. This recipe sounds like my cousin's recipe with a little something extra.

Now I know what you'll be thinking once you read the recipe and instructions "Claud why would I go through the trouble of roasting the chiles & the garlic. And then reconstituting the chiles to then add bottled hot sauce to the mix?" Well I'll tell you, because that's the way it's done and my little spin on it makes it so that it doesn't taste like you are eating shrimp tossed in hot sauce.

The way Ryan and I eat them is we just make tacos out of them. We grab a corn tortilla pile on the shrimp, onions and sauce, wrap it up and enjoy! However, if you can't handle the spicy I suggest you top your taco with some sour cream and maybe some avocado slices, both of which would taste awesome on this. Anywho, enough yapping more recipe.

Camarones a la Diabla

Courtesy of Frontera Kitchens

Serves 6 generously

For the sauce:
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
8 medium-large (about 4 ounces) dried guajillo chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, whole or freshly ground
1/8 teaspoon cumin, whole or freshly ground
1 medium-small onion, sliced into 8 rounds
2 cups chicken broth or water, plus a little more if needed
3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup red hot sauce (in Acapulco, many cooks choose Tamazula brand) (I used 1/4 cup of Tapatio & 1/4 of a cup of Cholula)
Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon, depending on the saltiness of the broth (I don't think I've ever had to add salt)

For finishing the dish:
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds shrimp

1. Making Spicy Guajillo Sauce. Roast the unpeeled garlic directly on an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft (they’ll blacken in spots), about 15 minutes; cool and peel. While the garlic is roasting, toast the chiles on another side of the griddle or skillet: 1 or 2 at a time, open them flat and press down firmly on the hot surface with a spatula; when they crackle and turn a dark maroon color they are done remove from the griddle/pan.

In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let rehydrate 30 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even soaking. Drain and discard the water.

Combine the oregano, black pepper, cumin and 1 slice of the onion in a food processor or blender. Add the drained chiles, garlic and 1/2 cup of the broth. Blend to a smooth puree, scraping and stirring every few seconds. (If the mixture just won’t go through the blender blades, add a little more liquid.) Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy, medium-small (2- to 3-quart) pot (such as Dutch oven or Mexican cazuela) over medium-high. When the oil is hot enough to make a drop of the puree sizzle sharply, add the puree and stir constantly until it reduces into a thick paste, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth or water, partially cover and simmer over medium-low, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes for the flavors to come together. Add the hot sauce and, if necessary, stir in a little more broth or water to bring the sauce to a medium, saucy consistency. Taste and season with about 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.

2. Finishing the dish. In a large skillet, melt the butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the remaining onion, breaking the rings apart, and cook, stirring, until the shrimp are done and the onion is beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the sauce and stir everything together until the sauce is boiling. Serve right away.