A classic Mexican seafood dish, Camarones a la Diabla (shrimp as hot as the devil or deviled shrimp) has shrimp swimming in a fiery red chile sauce that will have beads of sweat running down your nose — it is that hot. You can always adjust the heat level to your own personal liking, but you’ll miss out on all that yummy torture true lovers of spice endure.
HOW TO SERVE THE DISH
Serve with some Mexican or white rice and a nice cool, crisp green salad. Make sure to have some milk nearby if it gets too hot for you. But we promise you the flavor in this red sauce is AMAZING! Of course, there are some local restaurants in Los Angeles that also has the dish. Our favorite is the one served by the Curie family in Bell Gardens at their restaurant El Coraloense.
CAMARONES A LA DIABLA
Ingredients
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 8-10 medium-large (about 4 ounces) dried guajillo chiles
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, whole or freshly ground
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin, whole or freshly ground
- 1 medium-small onion, sliced into 8 rounds
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth or water, plus a little more if needed
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/3 to 1/2cup red hot sauce (in Acapulco, many cooks choose Tamazula brand, but we used Tapatio)
- Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon, depending on the saltiness of the broth
- 2 packets of Splenda (we replaced Splenda for sugar, but if you want to use sugar, it’s about 3/4 teaspoon)
- 2 pounds shrimp
Instructions
Roast the unpeeled garlic directly on a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes; cool and peel.
While the garlic is roasting, toast the chiles on another side of the griddle or skillet: 1 or 2 at a time, open them flat and press down firmly on the hot surface with a spatula; when you smell them toasting and they start crackling turn them over and toast the other side.
In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let rehydrate 30 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even soaking. Drain and discard the water.
Combine the oregano, black pepper, cumin and 1 slice of the onion in a food processor or blender. Add the drained chiles, garlic and 1/2 cup of the broth. Blend to a smooth puree, scraping and stirring every few
seconds. (If the mixture just won’t go through the blender blades, add a little more liquid.) Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy, medium-small (2- to 3-quart) pot over medium-high. When the
oil is hot enough to make a drop of the puree sizzle sharply, add the puree and stir constantly until it reduces into a thick paste, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth or water, partially cover and simmer over medium-low, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes for the flavors to come together. Add the hot sauce and, if necessary, stir in a
little more broth or water to bring the sauce to a medium, saucy consistency. Taste and season with about 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the sugar.
In a large skillet, melt the butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the remaining onion, breaking the rings apart, and cook, stirring, until the shrimp are done and the onion is beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the
sauce and stir everything together until the sauce is boiling. Serve right away.
