adobo

Shrimp with Chipotles in Adobo Sauce

/ toothpicktales / 4 Comments

Camarones con Chipotles en Adobo

About chipotles:

Chipotles are smoked chilies.  Jalapeños are most commonly used but, poblano, morita and meco chiles are also used.  The chilies may be smoked to a point where they are hard and dry, or they may be smoked to a point where they remain soft and pliable.

About adobo sauce:

There are many ways to prepare adobo sauce.  Adobo typically has elements of sweet, tangy, bitter and salty flavors.  Adobo sauces can vary in flavor, depending on the ingredients.  Imagine the many different kinds of barbecue sauces.  Same thing.

For this meal, I chose to lightly smoke and char the jalapeños and I made an adobo sauce from leftover tidbits in the refrigerator.  The base of the sauce was a spicy ketchup that I made by adding some hot sauce to the ketchup. To that, I added a little barbecue sauce, a little soy sauce, a pinch of brown sugar, and a few dashes of liquid smoke.  The finished sauce was full of flavor, but not too spicy. 

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic, peeled and mashed

¾ cup olive oil

¼ cup lime juice

1 lb jumbo shrimp

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chipotles in adobo (about ½ cup)

Lime wedges for serving

Corn tortillas (softened in hot oil)

1 cup lettuce, chopped

Directions:

Add olive oil and garlic to a ceramic dish and bake in a 325° oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven and add lime juice.  Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and mash the garlic to form a paste.  I browned the garlic a little too much and it wouldn’t mash properly, so I removed the garlic.  The oil carried the garlic flavor nicely.

Peel and devein the shrimp.  Reserve the shrimp shells for shrimp stock.

In a large skillet, add 3 tablespoons of the garlic oil and set heat to medium.  Add the shrimp and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Sauté the shrimp for about 3 minutes. 

Remove the shrimp and keep warm.

Add the chipotle sauce to the remaining garlic oil.  Mix to combine.

Add the mixture to the skillet and cook for a minute or two.  Add the shrimp to the skillet and stir briefly.

Turn out to a serving platter.

Top with diced green onions.  Serve with lime wedges, lettuce, warm tortillas, and Mexican rice.

Salsa Roja

/ toothpicktales / 1 Comment

This red sauce works well with lots of Mexican dishes. It’s rich, smooth and mild. It should provide a nice counterbalance to the chunky,spicy green sauce.

Since the grill is still hot, I am going to put a char on the tomatoes. This can be done in the oven at 400° but, like I said, my grill is ready and waiting and, since it’s summertime, I don’t want to heat the house up if I can avoid it.

This recipe calls for chiles en adobo, which are smoked, dried jalapeños (chipotles) that are packed in a sort of barbecue sauce, called adobo.  I prefer to buy chiles in adobo in little 8 oz cans.  One can carry me through several recipes and they last a long time, in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

6 dried guajillo chiles

6 small to medium tomatoes

1 Tbs olive oil

½ onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1 cup water

1 chipotle jalapeño in adobo sauce

1 tsp adobo sauce

½ teaspoon Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon salt

A pinch of freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Cut the ends off of the chiles and slice them lengthwise.  Remove and discard the seeds and fibers.  Chop the chiles a little and set them aside. 

Roast the tomatoes on a hot grill.  When the tomatoes start to char, remove them. 

In a large skillet, sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil on very low heat.  Once the onions have softened, add the water, chipotle jalapeño, adobo sauce, guajillo chiles, oregano, salt and black pepper.  Cover and simmer for a few minutes.  Chop the tomatoes roughly and add to the pan.  Simmer for 10 minutes and then turn the heat off.  Leave the sauce alone for 10 more minutes, which should be long enough for the chiles to soften. 

Pour the contents into a blender and puree.  Strain the solids and discard.  You may need to scrape the strainer with a flexible spatula.  Pour the sauce into a jar and allow it to cool.  Refrigerate until needed.