Shrimp With Sweet Toasty Garlic (Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo)

"From Rick Bayless, this is shrimp cooked in a bath of garlic, which has itself been slowly cooked to make it sweet and elegant. The recipe calls for 2 chipotle chiles. Some people may want more--a lot of people will probably want less--chipotles are HOT--so, if you're not sure, go easy and taste before you add all the chiles. This garlic "bath" is also wonderful with fish, and other seafood. It serves 6 generously as a main course, or more as an appetizer."
 
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Ready In:
1hr
Ingredients:
8
Serves:
6

ingredients

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directions

  • First, prepare the Mojo de Ajo:

  • Chop the garlic by hand or in the food processor until the garlic bits are about an 1/8" in size--about 1/2 cup of chopped garlic.
  • Place the garlic in small saucepan, measure in the oil and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and set over medium low heat.
  • Stir occasionally as the mixture comes BARELY to a simmer (just the hint of movement on the surface of the oil).
  • Adjust the heat to the very lowest possible setting and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is a soft, pale golden --about thirty minutes.
  • Add the lime and simmer about five minutes, until the juice has evaporated or been absorbed.
  • Stir in the chiles, then taste and add additional salt if necessary.
  • Keep the pan over the lowest heat so the garlic will be warm when the shrimp are ready.
  • Put the lime wedges into a serving bowl and set them out.
  • Now, prepare the Shrimp:

  • Set a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and spoon about one and a half tablespoons of the oil (but not the garlic) from the mojo.
  • Add half the shrimp to the skillet, sprinkle with salt, and stir gently and continuously until the shrimp are just cooked through (3 to 4 minutes).
  • Add half the cilantro (if you're using it)and scoop the shrimp onto a warm, deep serving platter.
  • Repeat with another one and a half tablespoons of the oil and the rest of the shrimp and cilantro.
  • Now, finish the dish:

  • When all the shrimp are cooked and placed in the serving platter, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the warm bits of garlic and chiles from the mojo pan and scatter them over the shrimp.
  • Serve with the lime wedges to, as Mr. Bayless says, add sparkle.
  • Note: The Mojo de Ajo will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks--the oil will become solid but will liquefy again at room temperature--warm it slowly before using.
  • Note 2: For the best texture, cook the shrimp immediately before serving, but, you can cook them an hour or so ahead, douse them with the garlic and serve at room temperature.

Questions & Replies

  1. I did not have recipe with me at the store and I bought diced chipotle peppers in a jar...…………….will that work in recipe?
     
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Reviews

  1. I have had this meal in dozens of restaurants and made it myself probably a dozen times. This particular recipe is simply MAGIC! Best version I've found. I use More Garlic and the largest Shrimp I can find. Very easy prep if you make the Mojo first. It'll wait for the shrimp. This is a nice presentation for dinner guests as well (Provided they like garlic)
     
  2. Fantastic. I Americanized it a bit by adding two limes instead of one to the sauce, so it was a little bit sweeter. Otherwise followed the recipe word for word. One of those recipes that people are super impressed by yet takes fairly little effort (just have to cut up all the garlic). I looked up this recipe after having camarones al mogo de ajo at a Mexican restaraunt---honestly, this version was probably better.
     
  3. Really tasty recipe from Rick Bayless in his 'Mexico, One Plate at a Time" cookbook. So garlicky good!
     
  4. Oh, yum! My DH & I shall have eternal garlic breath which was worth every bite! Hey, as long as you both have garlic breath, its okay! This was really delicious and made a beautiful presentation. Newer cooks: don't let the lengthy prep scare you - it's really quite easy and as long as you get the garlic simmering low enough, it practically prepares itself. I made 1/2 a recipe and it reduced perfectly for just the two of us. We ate it all, every bite, with some crusty peasant style bread. A definite "do over".
     
  5. I made this recipe two Fridays. I like chopping the shrimp at the end and letting the pieces soak in some extra al mojo de ajo. I used the dish as filling for tacos. My family goes nuts for this!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>I have always loved to cook. When I was little, I cooked with my Grandmother who had endless patience and extraordinary skill as a baker. And I cooked with my Mother, who had a set repertoire, but taught me many basics. Then I spent a summer with a French cousin who opened up a whole new world of cooking. And I grew up in New York City, which meant that I was surrounded by all varieties of wonderful food, from great bagels and white fish to all the wonders of Chinatown and Little Italy, from German to Spanish to Mexican to Puerto Rican to Cuban, not to mention Cuban-Chinese. And my parents loved good food, so I grew up eating things like roasted peppers, anchovies, cheeses, charcuterie, as well as burgers and the like. In my own cooking I try to use organics as much as possible; I never use canned soup or cake mix and, other than a cheese steak if I'm in Philly or pizza by the slice in New York, I don't eat fast food. So, while I think I eat and cook just about everything, I do have friends who think I'm picky--just because the only thing I've ever had from McDonald's is a diet Coke (and maybe a frie or two). I have collected literally hundreds of recipes, clipped from the Times or magazines, copied down from friends, cajoled out of restaurant chefs. Little by little, I am pulling out the ones I've made and loved and posting them here. Maybe someday, every drawer in my apartment won't crammed with recipes. (Of course, I'll always have those shelves crammed with cookbooks.) I'm still amazed and delighted by the friendliness and the incredible knowledge of the people here. 'Zaar has been a wonderful discovery for me.</p>
 
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