Camarones A La Diaba Recipe

Prepare shrimp

Rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a shallow bowl or zip-top bag.

Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, kosher salt and black pepper. Pour over shrimp, toss to coat thoroughly, and refrigerate to marinate for 15–30 minutes while you prepare the sauce and sides.

Toast chiles briefly: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast guajillo and arbol chiles 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Remove and set aside.

Soak chiles: Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with 1 cup hot (not boiling) water. Let soak 10–15 minutes until softened, then drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid.

Char tomatoes and onion: In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and char the quartered tomatoes and onion over medium-high heat until they blister and blacken in spots, about 4–6 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the 3 garlic cloves during the last 1–2 minutes to brown lightly.

Blend sauce: Transfer softened chiles, charred tomatoes, onion, garlic, reserved chile soaking liquid (about 1/4 cup) and 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth to a blender. Add apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, dried oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Blend until very smooth, scraping down sides as needed. If too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons more broth to reach a smooth pourable consistency.

Simmer sauce: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Pour the blended sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into the pan, pressing solids to extract flavor and discarding solids. Simmer gently 6–8 minutes to develop flavor and reduce slightly, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust salt, sugar, or vinegar to balance heat and acidity. Remove bay leaf.

Finish shrimp in sauce: Add the marinated shrimp to the simmering Diabla sauce (you may need to lower heat). Cook 2–3 minutes per side in the sauce until shrimp are opaque and firm (internal temp ~120–125°F/49–52°C). Do not overcook. Spoon sauce over shrimp to glaze. Alternatively, for a grilled finish: remove shrimp from marinade (reserve marinade), grill over high heat 1–2 minutes per side for char, then toss grilled shrimp into warmed Diabla sauce for 30–60 seconds to coat.

Cook rice: While sauce simmers, rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. Combine rice, 1 cup water and 1 tsp (or 1/4 tbs) butter in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Warm tortillas: Heat a dry skillet or comal over medium-high heat. Warm each tortilla 20–30 seconds per side until pliable and lightly charred in spots; keep wrapped in a towel to stay warm.

Assemble garnishes: Arrange shredded lettuce and diced tomato on the plate. Place 3 warmed tortillas, a scoop of cooked rice, a generous spoonful of sour cream and guacamole alongside.

Plate shrimp: Spoon several sauced shrimp onto the plate over or beside the rice. Drizzle additional Diabla sauce as desired and garnish with chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Serve immediately.