Smoky Spiced Shrimp

These shrimp don’t have much of a story, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t great. In fact, when a certain someone had them, he said “are you going to write about these? You should.”  I’ll take that as a good sign.

It really just started because I had some extra chipotles in the fridge, wanting to be used.

So that was easy – this sour cream, lime, chipotle sauce takes about 18 seconds, and is a regular for me. It is great smothered on tequila-lime chicken, or as a base for a little Mexi-pizza, just with chips, you name it…

All good choices, but none of those things were going to work for dinner here. (They required the store.)

But shrimp, that would be perfect.  Shrimp are one of those things that I always have in the freezer.  Always.

I really like seafood, but don’t make it at home very often, because I want to eat it the same day I buy it – so it is really fresh.  And that just doesn’t happen very often.

But shrimp, I only buy frozen.  Most shrimp are frozen right on the boat, so even when I buy “fresh” ones, chances are they have just been defrosted by the market or fishmonger for me.  And what is the point of that?

I like to buy them with the peel still on, and then I peel and devein them myself – I think they taste better and fresher that way, plus I even roast them peel on a lot, for added flavor.

And they cook so fast, they make a great weeknight dinner, but even better, they make great party food in a hurry too … I like having things on hand that can be quick bites with drinks for impromptu get-togethers.

In fact, these cumin-spiked shrimp would do a great double as dinner or hors d’oeuvres.  With the dipping sauce to boot.

Whew…so much for no story…

If you want them a bit spicier, feel free to add a pinch of cayenne, but since this sauce has some heat, I kept the shrimp just smoky. I personally love cumin.

And the touch of curry isn’t noticeable necessarily in the traditional sense, but I wanted the depth and warmth from all the spices that make it up, without having to bring out (or buy) 15 more things.  The cinnamon and coriander and ginger and cardamom, and and and and …

And you don’t need much flour, since they are getting just the faintest dusting, which keeps them lighter than a traditionally coated shrimp.

And if you have really read this much, you could have made about 100 of these little guys by now.  Which might not be a bad idea, if you are hosting an upcoming holiday party.

Cumin-Spiked Shrimp

NOTE:  I made these for dinner, with brown rice and a salad, and I would say this amount serves 2-3 hungry people.  But they would also be great for a first course or hors d’oeuvres, in which case you could get more per lb.  They would also be good at room temp, so they would work for a party, but I would not chill and re-heat, as it is too easy to over cook.

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on (I usually go for the 16-20/lb count)

½ t. ground cumin

½ t. chili powder

½ t. paprika

¼ t. curry powder

2 T. flour

salt

pepper

1-2 T. neutral flavored oil (you can use olive oil, but it has a bit of a stronger flavor, and I like the spices to come through)

chipotle-lime cream (recipe below)

Rinse peeled, deveined shrimp and pat dry with paper towels – make sure they are really dry so the coating will stick.  Sprinkle both sides of shrimp with salt and pepper.

On a large plate or pie pan, combine cumin, chili powder, paprika, curry powder and flour.  In batches, dredge shrimp in flour mixture and shake lose any excess.  You want the coating to be pretty light.

Using a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat 1 T. oil over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp in a single layer (do not over-crowd the pan and cook in batches if necessary) and cook for about 1½-2 minutes, and then flip and cook for 1 more minute.  Shrimp will be pink on the outside and the inside should be just white and opaque (you will be able to see the color change where the shrimp were deveined).  Be careful not to over cook the shrimp, as they will become tough and rubbery (and gross, in my opinion).

Remove from heat and place on a paper towel lined plate to remove any excess oil.

Serve with chipotle-lime cream.

Chipotle-Lime Cream

½ c. sour cream

1 large chipotle pepper in adobo

1 t. adobo sauce

1 lime, zest and juice (if your lime is very small or not very juicy, up the amount of lime juice to taste)

salt

pepper

Finely chop chipotle pepper.  Combine sour cream, chopped chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, lime juice and lime zest.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Chill sauce to let flavors come together – can be made 1-2 days in advance, covered and refrigerated.