Shrimp in Pumpkin Seed Sauce
Shrimp in Pumpkin Seed Sauce
Camarónes en PipianThis is a classic Mexican shrimp dish that's excellent for entertaining. Sauces flavored and thickened with pumpkin seeds goes back to the cooking traditions of Aztecs in central Mexico. This sauce is enriched and made more modern with the addition of cream and butter. Serve with Mexican Rice and soft warm corn tortillas.
Ingrediënten
Makes 8 servings
- 2 pounds 36 to 44 medium shrimp in the shell
- 4 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ tablespoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
- ½ medium white onion
- 1 cup hulled raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
- 2 serrano chiles coarsely chopped with seeds
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructies
- Place the shrimp in a large saucepan with the water, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and onion.
- Bring to a boil, over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer until the shrimp are pink and curled, about 3 minutes.
- With a slotted spoon, lift the shrimp and onion from the cooking liquid.
- Save the cooking liquid to use for the sauce base.
- Set the onion aside on a plate.
- When the shrimp are cool enough to handle, peel and devein.
- Put the shrimp shells in the pan of cooking liquid.
- Put the cleaned shrimp in a bowl and set aside.
- Bring the liquid with shrimp shells to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
- Pour the shrimp broth through a strainer into a bowl.
- Reserve the broth and discard the shells.
- In a dry skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring constantly, until they pop about in the pan and are aromatic.
- Spread the seeds out on a plate to cool; then grind to a powder in a spice grinder.
- (I use a coffee grinder reserved for spices.
- )
- Put 2 cups of the shrimp broth into a blender jar.
- Add the ground pumpkin seeds, reserved onion, cilantro, and serranos.
- Blend until smooth.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Pour in the blended sauce and cream.
- Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the shrimp.
- Heat through.
- Adjust seasoning, if needed.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serve hot.
