Yucatan Shrimp

Recipe from Greg Nelson

Adapted by Sam Sifton

Yucatan Shrimp
Zachary Zavislak for The New York Times; Food Stylist: Brian Preston-Campbell; Prop Stylist: Meghan Guthrie.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(1,385)
Comments
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This is a dinner to evoke deep summer, when the heat lies heavy even at dusk and humidity wraps you like a blanket: shrimp tossed in garlic butter made fiery with Indonesian sambal and jalapeño, cut by lime, fragrant with cilantro. It is a kind of scampi for the sun-kissed and sun-desirous alike, a vacation on a plate. Add a mojito and a couple of beers. The recipe comes out of southwest Florida, from Doc Ford’s Sanibel Rum Bar and Grille, a restaurant that sits off the road that runs slow and sultry along Sanibel Island toward Captiva, past the placid, russet waters of Tarpon Bay. Randy Wayne White, one of the owners, named the place after the fictional protagonist of his mystery novels. The air smells of salt and mangrove there, of tropical rot and fresh-cut grass. He graciously sent along a recipe, which we adapted for use at home, in 2010. —Sam Sifton

Featured in: The Sunshine Plate

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1large clove garlic, minced
  • Juice of two large limes
  • 1tablespoon Indonesian sambal (preferably sambal oelek, by Huy Fong, though sriracha will work as well)
  • Kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1pound large, fresh, shell-on shrimp
  • 1teaspoon jalapeño, seeded and chopped (optional)
  • 2tablespoons chopped cilantro
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

215 calories; 12 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 23 grams protein; 405 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to saucepan. When it melts, stir in the lime juice, chili sauce, salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and allow the sauce to rest.

  3. Step 3

    Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes or until they are just firm and pink. Do not overcook. Drain into a colander and shake over the sink to remove excess moisture.

  4. Step 4

    In a large bowl, toss the shrimp and chili sauce. Add jalapeño, if desired, sprinkle with cilantro and toss again.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,385 user ratings
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Comments

AmyR

Tip when using frozen shrimp - defrost them in salted water. Adds a lot of flavor!

Wendy

Man oh man! Sam Sifton never lets me down. I made the sauce then cooked the shrimp in the sauce until they were almost pink. Then I removed the shrimp and reduced the sauce to a glaze. I added the shrimp back into the pan, coated and cooked for one more minute. Delectable. Seriously. Sam, you are a culinary genius. Thank you thank you from Toronto.

Sue Llewellyn

I also removed the shells and oven roasted* the shrimp--salted, peppered, and tossed in a little olive oil--on a foil-lined sheet pan about 10 minutes @ 400 degrees, then proceeded as above, adding any accumulated juices to the sauce along with the shrimp.
*Broiling or even grilling 'em would also work.

Thomas Stohlmeier

My changes to this receipe: use half a pound of butter and a bulb of garlic. Rest stays the same. The shrimp must swim in the sauce.

Cosima

The shells add a depth of flavor you can't replicate. Why is everyone removing them, contrary to the recipe? It is absolutely delectable as is. Sitting around a table, sharing a meal with people you care about, peeling shells -- it's all part of the celebration of this incredible dish.

JD

Served with tagliatelle pasta and dropped the defrosted shrimp into the pasta pot to cook when noodles were 90 seconds away from being perfectly al dente. Drained everything together and tossed with sauce. Shrimp was perfect, pasta was perfect and sauce was delicious. I spiced up the sauce with more sriracha and a tsp of Hatch extra hot red chili powder from Santa Fe. My limes were very intense so added extra butter. In the end, the sauce was an ideal balance of flavors.

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Credits

Adapted from Greg Nelson at Doc Ford’s Sanibel Rum Bar and Grille, Sanibel Island, Fla

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