This is a recipe for Shrimp Stew. A delicious soup of bell peppers, celery and garlic in a brick red broth of sauce that's just right spicy. And that's just the beginning for a very memorable meal.
1 ½Tablespoonsneutral oilcanola or vegetable oil work well here
1mediumsweet onionchopped, about 1 cup
1green bell pepperthin sliced
1red bell pepperthin sliced
2stalks celerythick sliced
2Tablespoonscilantrominced
2clovesgarlicpeeled and minced
¼teaspoonNew Mexico Red Chile Powderor cayenne
¼teaspoonMexican Oregano
¼teaspooncumin
1leavesbay
⅓Cuptomato paste
¾Cupsdry white wine
½Cupwater
½teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
½teaspoonkosher salt
¼teaspoonblack pepper
4Tablespoonscilantrochopped, for topping
Instructions
For the shrimp: Combine the lime juice, garlic, oregano and cumin in a bowl and mix well. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
For the stew: Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, peppers and celery for about 5 minutes, stirring often or until vegetables are starting to soften. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add cilantro, chile powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and bay leaf and stir until well blended. Cook for 1 minute.
Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Add the wine and water to the vegetable mixture and mix well. Simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.
Cover and let simmer on low for 15 minutes.
Stir in the undrained marinated shrimp. Simmer for 5 - 6 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, stirring occasionally.
Discard the bay leaves. Stir in Worcestershire sauce. Ladle the stew into a serving bowl over cooked white rice. Garnish with slices of jalapeno pepper or more chopped cilantro.
Notes
Thaw The Shrimp Properly: Here in land-locked Colorado, I exclusively purchase frozen shrimp. If you buy it "fresh" from the seafood counter, odds are it was previously frozen anyway. Thaw shrimp in the refrigerator overnight. If you forgot to do that, place shrimp in a colander and run cold water over them until they're thawed.
How Do You Know When Shrimp Is Cooked? Shrimp cooks quite quickly. The shrimp should turn from a gray color to opaque pink. Eye the thickest part of the shrimp to make your decision.
White Wine: Choose a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. I like to keep little bottles on hand for cooking. Your local liquor store will have several brands available. Use chicken broth is you don't want to use wine.