Recipe: Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo

Camarones Al Mojo De Ajo
(Shrimp in Garlic Sauce)

Serves 6

The pleasant crunch of fried garlic against the rich mellow garlic-butter sauce in this recipe is a perfect complement to grilled seafood, whether it is Gulf shrimp, redfish, soft-shell crabs, or pretty much anything you would choose. Fried garlic is an integral part of seafood dishes from the Gulf Coast of Mexico. It is equally good with Italian pasta (such as spaghetti with olive oil and garlic) as it is with Mexican seafood. It keeps well in an air-tight container and does not have to be refrigerated. The restaurant's sous chef, Oscar Alvarez, describes this as his favorite dish to cook for himself. You couldn't ask for a better recommendation.

3/4 cup butter
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
36 raw shrimp (21-25 count), peeled and deveined
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Arroz Blanco (white rice; see book for recipe)

Fried Garlic

Makes 1/2 cup

1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup minced garlic

Prepare the Fried Garlic. In a heavy, 10-inch skillet, heat the oil over high heat until the oil is shimmering but not smoking. Add garlic, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring often. (Be careful not to burn it.) Remove garlic from the oil with a slotted spoon, strain through a fine strainer, and drain on paper towels.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat; add the sliced garlic, reduce heat to low, and keep warm on top of the stove. Do not brown the garlic. In a nonreactive skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the shrimp until they curl and turn pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Divide the shrimp among 6 dinner plates and spoon the warm garlic-butter sauce over each serving. Sprinkle with Fried Garlic and chopped parsley. Serve with Arroz Blanco.

Wine Suggestion
Pinot Griggio

Variation
Substitute six 6- to 7-ounce fillets of a firm fish (such as redfish, drum, or tilapia). Broil, grill, or sauté the fish and proceed as directed.

Buy the Book

from:
Fonda San Miguel:
Thirty Years of Food and Art
by Tom Gilliland and Miguel Ravago
Text by Virginia B. Wood
Shearer Publishing
Pages: 240; Color Photos: 140
$34.95; Hardcover
ISBN: 094067277-4
Recipe reprinted by permission.