Shrimp in Cilantro Cream Sauce

There is a special place in my heart (and stomach!) for Rosa Mexicano. As I’ve written in previous posts, my first date with my wife was at Rosa Mexicano, and we try to go on our anniversary whenever possible. I even have the Rosa Mexicano cookbook, an anniversary gift from my wife a few years ago. I was looking for some inspiration because I haven’t been cooking as much as I used to, so I turned to this cookbook and found this great recipe. I did change a few things, but the spirit of the recipe is mostly intact. The changes: I used shallots instead of red onion, added roasted corn, and used only one jalapeño pepper, instead of the two that the recipe called for (thought it would be too spicy for my wife but it ended up being too mild).

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: I served this dish with white rice and refried beans, but I didn’t take pictures of the sides.

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds peeled/de-vained shrimp (I used large, 21-25 shrimp)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup corn (about one large ear)
1 large shallot, sliced thin
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch cilantro, chopped fine (stems included, no roots)
1/2 tsp each salt, ground cumin, and dried mexican oregano, plus another 1/4 tsp salt for shrimp.
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Procedure:

Season shrimp with 1/4 tsp salt, set aside.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the corn on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet (to prevent sticking), sprinkle with a pinch of salt and roast for 10-12 minutes, tossing 2-3 times to ensure even roasting. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, then add the shallots, jalapeños, garlic, cilantro, salt, cumin, and oregano. Saute for 5-7 minutes, until the shallots are translucent. Turn heat up to medium high, add the cream and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat, and simmer until cream is reduced by 2/3rds (about 7-8 minutes). Stir in the shrimp, cover, and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring once or twice to ensure even cooking.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp to a bowl, then turn the heat back to medium high, add the corn, and reduce the cream sauce by half (the shrimp will release water, and this will need to be evaporated). Remove from the heat when the cream is just a little runnier than you would like and wait 3-4 minutes, then return the shrimp to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

Buen Provecho!