Tangy Pasilla Shrimp (Camarones En Escabeche Rojo)

A Rick Bayless recipe from season 9 of Mexico, One Plate at a Time. A simple recipe with delicious complex flavors, and just pleasantly spicy. Good with corn tortillas as a taco filling, or at room temp as an appetizer, or over cooked rice to trap all the delicious sauce.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 4 -5  dried pasilla negro chilies, stems removed, cut into rings with scissors, seeds discarded (1 1/2 ounces total)
• 1⁄2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1⁄4 cup  balsamic vinegar
• 1  tablespoon sugar
•  salt
• 1  lb medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined, tail segment intact
• 1⁄4 cup cilantro leaf

Directions

1. In a very large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the chile pieces and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. (Don’t cook them too long, as they’ll burn and taste bitter). Add the red onion and cook another minute while the onion wilts slightly. Add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, 1/3 cup water and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Simmer another minute to allow the flavors to come together.
2. Add the shrimp to the skillet with the sauce. Cook, stirring, until they are just barely cooked through (they will turn pink but be slightly translucent at the center), 6 to 8 minutes. Put the shrimp into a shallow serving bowl and garnish with the cilantro leaves. This dish is delicious served warm, at room temperature or cool.