Grilled Shrimp With Tamarind Recado Recipes

THE BEST GRILLED SHRIMP ON THE PLANET

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients, and toss to coat.
• Grill on high, turning once until charred and pink, about 3 minutes per side.
• Peel and eat.

GRILLED SHRIMP WITH TAMARIND SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare grill for cooking.
• Soak shrimp (still in shells) in salt water 5 minutes, then rinse well in a colander.
• Make sauce:
• Place tamarind in a bowl with water and rub with your fingers to dissolve pulp. Pour through a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids, and discard solids.
• Heat oil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook cilantro paste and garlic, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in hot sauce, 3 tablespoons tamarind juice, palm sugar, and fish sauce. Simmer until thickened to consistency of light syrup, about 3 minutes.
• Grill shrimp:
• Snip shells of shrimp with scissors down center of back, from wide end to second-to-last tail section. Butterfly shrimp in their shells, making a deep incision along length of back where shells are cut, and devein.
• Grill shrimp on their sides on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until shells are pink and slightly charred and shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. (Alternatively, grill shrimp in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderate heat.)
• Spoon tamarind sauce over shrimp (still in shells) in a serving dish.

GRILLED SHRIMP WITH TAMARIND RECADO

Steps:

• Prepare grill.
• In a bowl toss shrimp with recado and marinate until grill is ready, about 30 minutes. Grill shrimp on a well-oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals, turning them occasionally, until crusty, opaque, and charred, about 4 minutes.
• Serve shrimp with salsa.

GRILLED SHRIMP WITH SPICY TAMARIND DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat grill on high. Thread 3 shrimp on each skewer; season with salt and pepper. Dipping sauce: Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl. Grill shrimp until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with dipping sauce on the side.

TAMARIND RECADO

Steps:

• In a small skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and using tongs, fry chipotles, 1 or 2 at a time, turning them, until puffed and just beginning to brown, about 10 seconds. (Do not let chiles burn or recado will be bitter.) Transfer chipotles as fried to a small bowl, letting excess oil drip off. Add boiling water and soak chipotles, tossing occasionally, until soft, about 20 minutes.
• Heat a dry comal or flat iron griddle over moderately low heat and pan-roast onion, garlic, and tomatoes, turning them occasionally to ensure even roasting, until browned and soft throughout, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard garlic skins and tomatoes stems.
• In a blender or food processor blend chiles, 1/2 cup soaking water, onion, garlic, tomatoes, tamarind pulp, and salt until smooth. (Recado may be made 5 days ahead and chilled, covered.) Makes about 3 1/4 cups.
• In a small saucepan barely cover tamarind with water and bring to a boil, covered, over moderate heat. Simmer tamarind gently, covered, stirring frequently, until pulp loosens and falls off seeds, about 30 minutes. (If mixture becomes too thick, add more water to keep barely covered.)
• Strain mixture through a medium sieve into a bowl, pushing hard with back of a spoon to extract as much pulp as possible. If pulp does not measure about 1 1/2 cups, return solids to pan with water to barely cover and bring to a boil. Strain tamarind again in same manner to extract more pulp. (Tamarind pulp may be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.)