Spicy Chilean Shrimp

By KeyIngredient

Chupe is a seafood stew or soup made all over South America. This is one that I tasted in Chile and have adapted for Canadian kitchens and with a flavour profile that matches the Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. It is not overly spicy but has many levels of fl avour. We made it with both black tiger shrimp and white shrimp—with the white having superior flavour. Use shrimps in the 16 to 20 size range. White bread is often used as a thickener in French cooking as it imparts a thickness but no flouriness to the sauce. If you can’t fi nd queso fresco cheese, substitute with fresh ricotta. Serve over rice.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
• 1 cup (250 mL) onion, diced
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped green chili
• such as serrano or jalapeño
• 2 tsp (10 mL) chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) chili flakes
• 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped canned tomatoes, puréed
• 1 cup (250 mL) chicken stock
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) milk
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
• 3 slices white bread, crusts removed, about 3 cups (750 mL) torn
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) lime juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 lb (500 g) large shrimp cleaned and deveined
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) grated queso fresco cheese
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped coriander

Preparation

Step 1

1 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

2 Heat olive oil in an ovenproof skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes or until softened. Add green chili and garlic and sauté 1 more minute. Stir in chili flakes and cumin and sauté for 30 seconds to bring out flavours. Add tomatoes and stock and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

3 Combine milk and cream. Tear up bread, add to cream mixture and let soak for about 5 minutes. Add bread mixture to tomato sauce and purée with an immersion blender or in a food processor until the bread has disappeared.

4 Return sauce in pan to stove over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and add to sauce. Sprinkle cheese over shrimp and sauce. Bake for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and shrimps are cooked. Sprinkle with chopped coriander.

Serves 4