Shrimp with Garlic and Chiles

For months now my husband and I have been wracking our brains trying to think of the perfect way to celebrate our upcoming ten year wedding anniversary.  With the kids?  Without the kids?  Somewhere close or somewhere far away?  We tossed around the idea of taking a cruise departing from New Orleans (somewhere I've been dying to go).  However, as we watched the crisis on the Triumph unfold over the week we decided the idea of a cruise was definitely out!  Finally we decided on an all-inclusive adults only beach resort in Cabo San Lucas and I literally cannot wait!

To celebrate I made this very spicy shrimp with garlic and chiles.  After all, nothing says celebration like shrimp and pasta.  Let's just say it was a good thing I chose to serve this shrimp over pasta because it was HOT, and I don't mean temperature hot.  I'm talking spicy hot.  If you're into spicy food then this is a good dish for you.  The shrimp are tossed in cayenne and then stir-fried in a wok with a diced hot chile and lots of garlic.  It was just the right amount of heat for my husband but almost on the border of being a little too spicy for me.  It was definitely delicious, but next time I'd probably dial back on the cayenne and/or remove the seeds from the chiles.

Shrimp with Garlic and Chiles

Adapted from Quick & Easy Indian Cooking 

by Madhur Jaffrey

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer or

2-4 as a main dish

 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and washed, then patted dry

1/4 teaspoon dry turmeric (optional)*

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 fresh, hot green and/or red chile, finely chopped (do no remove seeds)

1/2 cup chicken broth/stock

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh cilantro 

*Note: My family doesn't care for turmeric so I always leave it out.

Put the shrimp in a bowl.  Sprinkle the turmeric (if using), cayenne, dry mustard, and salt over the shrimp and gently mix together. Set aside. 

Put the oil in a wok or large frying pan and set over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir until the garlic has turned golden.  Add in the red or green chile.  Stir once or twice.  Put in the shrimp.  Stir and fry them over high heat just until they turn opaque.  This will take 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan by adding in the 1/2 cup of chicken stock or broth.  Sprinkle with the cilantro, then toss and serve.  The shrimp would be delicious served all on their own as an appetizer, but we enjoyed ours over some buttered pasta.

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