This is spicy and absolutely delicious served with rice and avocado. Feel free to cut back on the amount of chiles in order to dial back the heat.
You will need:
- 2 jalapeƱos, diced or 8 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn in to pieces (about 1 cup)
- 2 Tbs olive oil, plus extra as needed
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbs minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 lbs extra large shrimp (21-25’s) peeled & deveined
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp oregano
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tbs lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
- A dutch oven, or enameled cast iron pot, if possible.
Step one:
Toast guajillos in dutch oven over medium heat. Stir frequently to release fragrance for 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. (If you do not have guajillos, skip this step and add chopped jalapenos to step two)*.
Step two:
Heat oil in now empty dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute onion and 1/2 tsp salt and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chipotle, oregano, and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce, water and toasted guarillos*/jalapeƱos; bring to a simmer and cook until chiles are soft, around 10 minutes.
Step three:
Transfer the mixture into a blender and process until smooth – 30 seconds. Return sauce to the pot and stir in shrimp. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until shrimp are opaque and cooked, 5-7 minutes. Stir cilantro and lime juice into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with extra cilantro and lime over cilantro-lime rice.