Guest Recipe By Vicky Cowal
I bought shrimp last week at the Central de Abasto. After looking, smelling, touching, checking prices I finally bought tender and flavorful medium- size shrimp for 75 pesos a kilo – versus 185 pesos at the supermarket. Since I was not going to be cooking them right away, I froze them according to the advice of the merchant. This was to freeze them in water in their shells in a plastic container. Then I made the following recipe which has long been a family favorite.
Ingredients:
- 1 poblano chili
- 5 tomatillos, husked and quartered
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper, to taste
Filling:
- 1 ear corn
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 large zucchini, diced
- 1 small white onion, chopped fine
- 1 tomato, chopped fine
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- ¾ pound raw medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup grated Manchego cheese (or Monterey Jack)
- 12 flour tortillas
Preparation:
For the sauce: char the chili over a gas flame until blackened on all sides. Place in a plastic bag and let stand for 10 minutes to sweat. Under running water, peel off the blackened skin, remove the seeds and core. Dice the chili and combine with the tomatillos, stock and cilantro in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree in a blender and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F).
For the filling: strip the corn from the ear and put in a skillet with the stock, zucchini and onion. Simmer over a low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Mix in the tomato and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, cilantro and basil and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
Place a spoonful of filling down the middle of each tortilla and roll the tortillas. Place them, seamside down, in a lightly greased baking dish. Pour the sauce over all and cover the dish with foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and bake for 10 more minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.
6 servings.
