Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Camarones En Salsa Criolla (Shrimp in Cuban Creole Sauce)

This recipe makes a massive portion it makes about 12 servings more or less. Cut amounts in half if you wish.

This is my grandmothers recipe. It is full of her flavors and seasoning in cooking. To me any cuban dish is comfort food. Especially one's in hot, steamy tomato based sauces served with lots of rice to soak it up.

I don't know how others make this but I know this is how my grandmother taught my mother and how I learned it from both of them.

Ingredientes:
-3 lbs. shrimp (deviened, peeled, washed, reserve shrimp shells for stock used in this recipe it is a key component)
-water (to make shrimp stock)
-1 red bell pepper julienned
-1 green bell pepper julienned
-1 whole onion cut in half ten julienned
-8-12 garlic cloves crushed and minced (I use a garlic press or a mortar and pestle.)
-2-4 potatoes, peeled cut into small cubes (optional this is usually done to stretch out the dish and also because the little potato cubes soak up delicous shrimp flavors and are nice, starchy, and comforting )
-1 dry white wine (optional my grandmother doesn't add it)
-2 cans 15 oz of tomato sauce
-Salt ot taste
-2 teaspoons of ground cumin
-1 teaspoons of dried oregano crumbled
-2 dried bay leaves(optional)
-Lots of extra-virgin olive oil
-1 bunch of cilantro or parsley minced

Directions:
(1) Get shrimp shells and boil in water until shrimp shells turn orange in color and water changes color and gets shrimp flavor

(2)Later on medium high heat sautee red & green bell peppers, onions, and garlic until fragrant. Pour in white wine (optional you may skip that my grandmother doesnt do that) bring wine to a boil.

(3)
Add tomato puree, some shrimp stock (as much as you'd like depends how thick you want the sauce 2 cups will make it nice and thick 3 kinda loose 4 more watery with little body again your preference), cubed potatoes, cumin, oregano, bay leaf and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer on low covered for awhile so the flavors get infused and potato pieces are fully cooked.


(4)Mix in shrimp until they change color
(5) Garnish with cilantro

6 comments:

Hilda said...

Nathan - ¡felicidades!

Welcome to the joys of the cooking blogosphere.

I haven't had a chance to look through all your recipes, but I will - I've already seen some that pique my interest.

Good luck...

Olgy Gary said...

Wow, Nathan! This is phenomenal!!! The recipes look deliciosos and the photos make me want to go out right now, buy the ingredients, and get cooking! This is great, what you've done here. Mil gracias for giving us a fun place to stop by and get good recipes we can try out.

Share your blog URL with the folks in the ISLA group, both in the Cuban food/recipes section and in the Cuban websites/blogs one. :-)

Nathan said...

Thanks for checking out my recipes, hope you guys enjoy it :)

Lauren said...

Hi Nathan!!! I was looking for this recipe forever and yours looks delicious!!! I can put this over rice, right? Instead of using potatoes? The salsa is thick enough, yes?

Nathan said...

Yes you can use serve over rice, most Cuban dishes can be consumed with rice this one to.

The sauce can be as thick or as loose as you want just let it reduce as much as you want prior to adding shrimp :)and or add as much or as little liquid as you see fit.

THe potatoes are optional we just do that in my house sometimes to stretch the dish or we just love the little starchy cubes to absorb shrimp flavor with or without potatoes we still consume it with rice.

Anonymous said...

Hi Nathan!
I followed your recipe last night and it was finger liking good!
White rice goes awesome with this saucy dish.