Camarones Con Rajas Recipe

Prep prawns

Rinse prawns and pat dry with paper towels. If not already peeled/deveined, remove shells and devein, leaving tails on if desired. Place in a bowl and toss with 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice. Let sit while you prepare other components (10–15 minutes).

Cook prawns

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add prawns in a single layer (work in two batches if necessary). Sear 1.5–2 minutes per side, until opaque and just cooked through. Remove prawns to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Keep warm.

Roast poblanos

Roast poblano peppers over an open flame, under a broiler, or on a hot grill, turning occasionally, until skins are blackened and blistered all over (8–12 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a lid; steam for 10 minutes to loosen skins. When cool enough, peel off skins, remove stems and seeds, and slice into 1/2-inch strips (rajas).

Prepare onion and optional pasilla

While poblanos steam, peel and slice the yellow onion into 1/4-inch half-moons. If using the whole pasilla or ancho for extra depth, rehydrate it in hot water for 10 minutes, drain, remove seeds and thinly slice or roughly chop.

Sauté rajas and onion

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and sauté 3–4 minutes until translucent. Add the poblano strips (and rehydrated pasilla pieces if using) and continue to cook 4–5 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until peppers are tender and edges begin to char. Season with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Remove mixture from skillet and keep warm with the prawns or transfer to serving dish.

Toast and rehydrate pasilla chiles

Toast 2 dried pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant (do not burn). Remove stems and seeds, then place chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water; let soak 10 minutes until pliable. Reserve soaking liquid.

Blend sauce base

In a blender, combine rehydrated pasilla chiles (drained but reserve a tablespoon of soaking liquid if needed), 2 garlic cloves, 1 small chopped white onion, and 1 cup hot low-sodium stock. Add the reserved tablespoon of soaking liquid if mixture is too thick. Blend until completely smooth, about 30–45 seconds.

Cook and finish sauce

Heat 1 teaspoon neutral oil or butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Pour the blended pasilla purée into the pan and simmer gently 3–4 minutes to meld flavors. Reduce heat to low and whisk in 3 tablespoons Mexican crema (or sour cream) and 1 tablespoon heavy cream until smooth. Taste and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. If sauce is too thick, thin with up to 2 tablespoons hot stock or reserved soaking liquid to reach a pourable cream consistency.

Combine sauce with rajas

Add the sautéed poblano and onion mixture into the pasilla cream sauce and stir to coat. Warm together for 1–2 minutes so the rajas absorb some sauce. If you prefer a looser presentation, remove a few rajas to top the prawns and keep the rest mixed into the sauce.

Arrange a bed of the pasilla cream and rajas on a warm serving platter or individual plates. Nestle cooked prawns on top of the rajas and spoon additional sauce over the prawns. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro and crumbled queso fresco if using. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing.

Notes: For restaurant-style richness, finish prawns with a small drizzle (1 tsp) of melted butter tossed just before plating. Serve with warm tortillas or rice.