Caldo De Camaron - Shrimp Caldo

Gabby B's Note:

I never knew how to make this until I made it recently with my mother and I was surprised how easy it was. The brown rice and potatoes are my addition in an attempt at making this a whole meal instead of a "before dinner" soup. Try using brown rice because regular rice will get mushy in your pot if you have left overs (also adjust for cooking time if you're using regular rice). Also play a little with the water depending how soupy you like it. I use very little because my husband leaves all the broth behind so to me it's such a waste. Also, some people may be put off by the shrimp in shells but all the flavor is in the shells, don't remove them. Make your dinner guest work for their meal, ha-ha-ha-ha! Enjoy.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 6

Yield: 6.0 bowls

• 2 lbs shrimp, in shells uncooked
• 3 quarts water
• 1 cup carrot, sliced
• 1 cup potato, cubed
• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 -4 ounces guajillo chilies
• 1/2 medium onion, separated
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 shrimp bouillon cube
• salt

Directions:

1. In a large pot bring water to a rolling boil with almost all the onion, 2 cloves garlic, rice, and bouillon cube.
2. Clean guajillo chiles by running some cold water thru them. Seed them if you prefer and add them to a blender with a sliver of onion and one clove garlic.
3. Add hot water from the pot that is boiling to the blender containing chiles, onion, and garlic let it sit until in cools down and the chiles soften, about 10 minutes. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BLEND WHILE THE WATER IS STILL HOT. ADD SOME COLD WATER IF YOU'RE THAT IMPATIENT BUT BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN BLENDING HOT LIQUIDS.
4. Pour chile blend into the boiling pot of water making sure you run it through a strainer first. The chile skins can be tough and take away from the caldo.
5. Taste rice and make sure it's cooked. It should take about 45 minutes for the rice to cook.
6. Add potatoes, and carrots and let them cook to desired done-ness. I like my veggies kind of firm so I add the veggies when there's about 10 minutes left in cooking.
7. Add salt to taste, remember the potatoes will absorb some salt so this is the time to add salt to make it taste the way you like it.
8. Last, add shrimp in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Time exactly 5 minutes, if your shrimp are too small give it only about 4 minutes.
9. Remove pot from stove and let it sit for 5 minutes uncovered.
10. Serve hot with hot corn tortillas and lime wedges to squeeze into the caldo.