Recipes: Broiled Shrimp with Chili Sauce Barra Vieja

SERVING SIZE: 1/6 of recipe, SERVES: 6

Chili Sauce

6 dried New Mexico chilis
1/2 tsp ground cumin 3 ancho chilis
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
3 cloves garlic, peeled, bashed
1/2 tsp dried oregano and chopped
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp salt
4 Italian plum tomatoes, such as 1 Tbsp white distilled vinegar Roma, quartered
1 Tbsp molasses

Yogurt Mayonnaise

1/2 cup yogurt cheese (page 475)
1 pinch of powdered saffron
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Other Ingredients

24 cherry tomatoes
6 medium shrimp (about 2 ounces or 55 g each)
1 bunch watercress, thoroughly washed

Garnish

1 tsp mild chili powder
6 corn tortillas
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Vegetarian Option

12 oz baby carrots (2 1/4 inch apiece)

Replace the shrimp with baby carrots (you could call them "garden prawns"), steamed for 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender but still crisp. Coat the carrots with 1/2 cup of the chili sauce and serve over watercress and tomatoes.


1. To prepare the New Mexico and ancho chilis, remove the stems and slice the chilis open lengthwise. Remove the seeds and pulp with the tip of a knife blade or a small spoon. Put the chilis in a saucepan with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and let soak for 10 minutes.

2. While the chilis are soaking, make the yogurt mayonnaise. Whisk together the yogurt cheese, lime juice, saffron, and salt. Cover and set aside.

3. To finish the chili sauce, strain the soaked chilis, reserving the liquid. Transfer the chilis to a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, onion, tomatoes, cumin, marjoram, oregano, cloves, salt, vinegar, and molasses. Pulse, then blend until smooth, about 4 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a small saucepan. Rinse the processor bowl or blender jar with 1 cup of the pepper-soaking liquid and stir into the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, warm a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the cherry tomatoes until lightly browned on the outside. Transfer the tomatoes to a plate and gently mash with a fork. Remove most of the seeds.

5. Preheat the broiler.

6. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail shell attached. Slit each shrimp lengthwise down the center, being careful not to cut all the way through. Remove the sand-filled vein and open the shrimp out flat, like a butterfly. Weave a toothpick through the thickest part of the meat, so that the two halves of the shrimp remain flat. Brush each shrimp generously on both sides with the chili sauce. Place the shrimp on a broiler pan and broil for 3 minutes on each side. Serve immediately.

7. To serve, divide the watercress among small salad plates. Arrange
3 crushed tomatoes and one shrimp on top of the watercress. Spoon a little chili sauce over each shrimp and top with a dollop of yogurt mayonnaise. Dust with mild chili powder and garnish with the chopped cilantro and hot tortillas.

Per serving: 172 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0% of calories from saturated fat, 23 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber
Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Very Lean Meat, 2 Vegetable

Vegetarian
Per serving: 135 calories, I g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0% of calories from saturated fat, 27 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber
Exchanges: 1 Starch, 3 Vegetable