Recipe from Whitney Otawka
Adapted by Kim Severson
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(68)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Shrimp are like cotton balls, absorbing the flavor of whatever they bathe in. Whitney Otawka developed this dish for Cinco y Diez in Athens, Ga. The shrimp takes on the smoky notes of the tequila and roasted tomatoes and the deep heat of dried arbol chilies. Cooking the shrimp with the heads adds flavor to the sauce. The adventurous can break off the heads and suck in the juices. Make sure you have all the ingredients assembled next to the stove before hand. The cooking goes quickly. —Kim Severson
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Ingredients
Yield:2 servings as main dish, 4 as an appetizer
- 2large Roma tomatoes
- 3dried arbol chiles
- 1cup clam juice
- 2tablespoons clarified butter, or ghee
- 7dried arbol chiles
- 1teaspoon minced garlic
- 1tablespoon minced white onion
- 1tablespoon minced poblano chile
- 1pound extra-large shrimp, or about 16, with the tail and the head left on but the body peeled
- 2ounces mezcal
- 1½cups roasted tomato broth
- 1tablespoon lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
- 1tablespoon minced cilantro
- 1tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ to 1teaspoon salt, depending on salinity of shrimp
For the Roasted Tomato Broth
For the Shrimp
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
568 calories; 21 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 59 grams protein; 1086 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Preparation
Make the Broth
Step
1
On a hot grill or on a grill pan, roast tomatoes until the skins are charred and soft. On the same grill, toast chiles for a few seconds to soften. Transfer tomatoes and chiles into a blender and purée with clam juice. Strain.
Make the Shrimp
Step
2
Prepare and assemble all ingredients for the shrimp and have them near the stove.
Step
3
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high and add clarified butter. When it’s hot, add the arbol chiles. Fry lightly until they just begin to darken, which could take less than a minute.
Step
4
Add garlic, onion and poblano chile and sauté for about 1 minute.
Step
5
Add shrimp and cook for about 20 seconds. Add mezcal (if using a gas range, remove pan from the heat as you add the alcohol).
Step
6
Cook for about 30 seconds and add tomato broth.
Step
7
Simmer for another minute and add lime juice, cilantro and butter. Reduce for 30 more seconds, remove from heat and add ½ teaspoon salt. Check for seasoning. Add more salt if needed. Serve shrimp and sauce with lime wedges.
Ratings
4
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Cooking Notes
EJ
Just made this dish and enjoyed it a lot, made a few minor tweaks, as most people said I backed off of the peppers a bit, using 5 chili peppers from our garden plus the poblano, and I also added scallops which were delicious. I felt like the broth was thin and I didn't want to overcook the seafood so I added a little tomato paste when adding the broth. I also seasoned with a little coriander as well, it added to the citrus flavor, plus coriander is cilantro seeds so it kept it all in the family
Perignon
I slow roast 2-3 quartered tomatoes in the oven (on a barely oiled cookie sheet @ 275 degrees) for 3-4 hours, which is how I typically roast fruits or vegetables.
This dish is phenomenal when done that way, but it does take much more time.
Whitney
I just made this dish for Christmas Eve dinner. Absolutely loved it, but I couldn’t find clam juice, so I subbed a homemade dashi broth (left the bonito flakes in during the blend), and instead of using the grill with the tomatoes, I roasted them for about 30 minutes in a 220 degree celsius oven until bits were blackened and charred. Whirred it together with the broth and didn’t bother to strain so it took on a thicker saucier texture. I followed the remainder of the recipe to the T— delicious!
Amanda
I subbed soy sauce for fish sauce and made brown rice with it
Amy
Is roasted tomato broth the same as roasted tomato soup?
Jenny
I followed the recipe exactly. I did decrease the peppers to 5 in the main dish per comments. I removed the shrimp when close to done then reduced the sauce. I re-warmed in sauce prior to serving. Next time I’ll serve over rice. This time I served it as an appetizer.
EJ
Just made this dish and enjoyed it a lot, made a few minor tweaks, as most people said I backed off of the peppers a bit, using 5 chili peppers from our garden plus the poblano, and I also added scallops which were delicious. I felt like the broth was thin and I didn't want to overcook the seafood so I added a little tomato paste when adding the broth. I also seasoned with a little coriander as well, it added to the citrus flavor, plus coriander is cilantro seeds so it kept it all in the family
Sally
Way too many peppers here. Otherwise, very good. A cross between bbq shrimp and crawfish bisque.
Sally
Really good. Tone it way way down on the chilies.
ez
Since mezcal is a liquor made from agave, as a substitute I used 1 oz vodka and 1 oz agave nectar syrup. Not wanting to make clarified butter I used coconut oil to saute the chiles. I like to cook shrimp with the shell on to add flavor. Lacking plain clam juice I used Clamato and drank some while cooking. This dish turned out pretty good but next time I will try the suggestions below for roasting the tomatoes.
ez
Here in PA the State Stores carries only one brand of mezcal at $20 for 750ml (other brands can be ordered but are very expensive). Since I don't drink the rest of the bottle will never be used but I do keep vodka for guests. Has anyone tried a substitute for mezcal.
Sally
Any decent tequila would be a reasonable substitute. I wouldn't use a good sippin' tequila (save that to serve over ice as an aperatif!). What grows together, goes together -- Pacific shrimp wild-caught of the cost of Mexico is fantastic partnered with tequila and almost any sauce put on the shrimp will benefit from a splash of tequila. (And your vodka drinking friends will be delighted at the change of pace; I can't think of a vodka drink that wouldn't also be good with tequila.)
Iris
I used some roasted (with garlic and olive oil) tomatoes I had prepared two days previously, and--as others suggested--I think this added to the depth of flavor. A note of caution: When I made the tomato broth, I discarded the seeds from two of the three chiles. The sauce was still pretty piquante. With all the seeds, it would have been blazing hot, I think.
Perignon
I slow roast 2-3 quartered tomatoes in the oven (on a barely oiled cookie sheet @ 275 degrees) for 3-4 hours, which is how I typically roast fruits or vegetables.
This dish is phenomenal when done that way, but it does take much more time.
Michael Coventry
This was delicious in many ways, but I will need to refine. The sauce lacked depth of flavor-- I think I didn't roast the tomatoes long enough (and grilling them didn't seem to work well). My immediate reaction when smelling the sauce out of the blender was that it didn't smell like roasted tomatoes--I am wondering if the oven or broiler would do a better job? The skin of my tomatoes turned black before they were entirely soft on the stovetop.
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