Camarones en Salsa de Serrano

Apologies all around for the long hiatus. However, I do have some good news. We are now officially moved and unpacked. I have lots of food pictures and news to catch up on, so we should be posting more regularly again from now on.

Below is a recipe that Ken made on a summer's night while my younger sister was visiting. It is a very fresh, bright, and beautiful dish that is perfect for serving on an oppressively hot day. This recipe is based on a recipe from Rick Bayless. Ken tweaked the recipe slightly but it remains similar to the original.

Salsa Preperation:
In a non-reactive bowl, combine the following ingredients:
4-5 medium sized ripe tomatoes, finely diced
1 finely diced & rinsed medium onion
3 serano chilis, very finely diced (quantity to taste)
2 T fresh cilantro,
fresh lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Taste and adjust ingredient quantity as necessary. Put the bowl in the refrigerator to rest for at least an hour (could be made the day before).

Shrimp Preparation:
You will need 1 lb (18-20 ct.) shrimp. Here we used tiger shrimp.
Peel and de-vein the shrimp. In a non-reactive bowl, combine the shrimp with the juice of 2 limes, 1/2 T salt, 1 tsp cracked black pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste. Marinate shrimp in fridge for about 1/2 hour.

Cooking the Shrimp:
You will need to use two different skillets to cook this dish, a heavy regular, or cast iron pan (it should NOT be non-stick) and a regular non-stick/stainless steel pan. Coat the cast iron pan with a thin layer of olive oil and heat it to medium high heat. Pour about 1/2 inch layer of the salsa mixture into the non-stick pan and heat it over low heat (the salsa should reach a low simmer).

Once the pans are heated, put one layer of shrimp in the cast iron pan and let them cook for 15-30 seconds. After that, move the shrimp into the second non-stick pan with the uncooked side down. Put another layer of raw shrimp into the cast iron skillet. While the shrimp in the cast iron skillet cooks, remove the shrimp from the salsa pan and set it aside. Then, move the shrimp from the cast iron skillet into the salsa, and so on. Repeat this process until all of the shrimp are cooked. Be sure to add more salsa and olive oil to their respective pans as necessary.

Once all of the shrimp are cooked and set aside, pour all of the remaining salsa into the non-stick pan and heat through. Pour the salsa over the cooked shrimp.

Garnish with cilantro. Serve with fresh warm tortillas and rice.