Borracho Shrimp Recipe

Dry and season

Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels. Lightly season both sides with kosher salt (about 1 tsp total) and black pepper (1/2 tsp). Toss shrimp with 2 tsp flour to give a light coating — this helps the sauce cling and gives a slight browning.

Set shrimp aside on a plate while you start the sauce. Make sure the pan and oil are hot before adding shrimp to get a quick sear.

Heat a large skillet (preferably stainless steel or cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbs olive oil and when shimmering add the shrimp in a single layer. Sear 1.5–2 minutes per side until opaque with a slight golden crust. Do not overcook; shrimp will finish cooking in the sauce. Transfer shrimp to a warm plate and tent with foil.

Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter to the same skillet. When butter has melted, add the minced shallot and cook 1.5–2 minutes until softened and translucent but not browned.

Add the minced garlic and cook 20–30 seconds until fragrant.

Stir in the mild ghost pepper hot sauce (1 tbs), smoked paprika (1/2 tsp), ground cumin (1/4 tsp) and torn oregano (1 tsp). Cook 30 seconds to bloom the spices.

Carefully pour in the tequila (1/4 cup). If you have a gas flame and prefer, flambé briefly by tipping the pan to ignite (optional). Allow alcohol to reduce by half, about 1–1.5 minutes.

Add the chicken or seafood stock (1/2 cup) and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer 2 minutes to meld flavors and slightly reduce.

Stir in the diced tomato (1/4 cup), honey (1/2 tsp) and lime juice (1 tbs). Taste and season with salt as needed. Simmer 1 minute.

Turn heat to low and whisk in the cold cubed butter (1 tbs) a piece at a time to emulsify the sauce and give it a glossy finish.

Return the seared shrimp to the skillet, spoon the sauce over them and warm through 30–60 seconds — just until shrimp are heated and coated. Do not overcook.

Stir in the chopped cilantro (2 tbs) and remove the skillet from the heat.

Plate the six shrimp, spooning the tequila-ghost pepper sauce over each. Sprinkle extra chopped cilantro (1 tbs) and serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing.

Serve immediately with crusty bread, warm tortillas, or rice to soak up the sauce.