There are few dishes in the latin cuisine word that compare to Camarones a la Diabla. It is spicy, it is flavorful. It is rich. It is…perfect. This is one of the dishes I use to judge a restaurant by. This and Chile Verde, that is another story. If a restaurant can make great Camarones a la Diabla the they stand a chance. As long as they don’t screw up the Margarita, we are all good! There are many ways this dish is served. Some will serve it as tacos, some as a botanas, while others keep it very traditional and serve it with white rice and fresh tortillas. Either way, it is the holy grail of flavors and must be prepared correctly.
The secret to great Camarones a la Diabla is getting enough heat but still having the rest of the flavors to support that heat. Heat alone does not make great Camarones a la Diabla. You must build flavors with the other ingredients. The roast tomatoes and garlic are incredibly important to this dish. As is the beef stock. This gives it the depth it needs to hold up the spice from the chilies. I always use the analogy that flavor and heat are like width and height. For a dish to be balanced, it must be “high AND wide”. This satisfies all your taste buds and is the thing that rolls your eyes back in your head when you take that first bite. Great Camarones a la Diabla needs to be “high and wide”.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles and place them in a 10" frying pan or 2 quart sauce pan over medium heat. Heat until the chiles start to soften and then add beef stock to pan. Add chipotle pepper and adobo sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to let simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit to cool slightly, 20 minutes.
- Transfer the chiles and all the liquid to a blender and blend for about 45 seconds. Strain mixture into a bowl and set aside while you work on the other parts of the sauce
- Place shirmp in a large bowl and add lime juice and salt and pepper. Toss to coat and let sit in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
- Heat 1/4 cup of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Add onions and cook for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 1 mintue. Stir frequently. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine Cook another 5 minutes over low heat.
- Add chile mixture to the onions and tomatoes and stir to combine. Cover and set aside.
- Transfer shrimp to a paper towel and pat dry.
- In a large frying pan heat 1 tbsp of butter of medium high heat until bubbling stops. Add dry shrimp to the pan and cook on one side for 1 minute. Flip over and cook on the other side about 1 more minute.
- Tranfser the shrimp to the pan with the sauce in it and put that back on the heat for about 2 minutes. Stir frequently
- Serve shrimp in tacos or with a side of white rice and tortillas. Also makes a great burrito! Enjoy