Shrimp with Chipotle Cream Sauce

   

  
Can you guess where everyone walks around with a smile on their face?  It's not Indonesia, where they practice smiling with their liver, although my trip to Bali does confirm that there are a lot of people with good karma there.  Similarly, Thais love to flash a big grin, but they seem caught up in their political troubles at the moment.  India, the people who gave us the word "nirvana?"  No, I'm not think of that either.  I'm actually thinking of a travel destination closer to home, popular now, where the temperature and humidity is so ideal, so not hot, so not cold, so bright sunshine year round, that people can't help but walk around with a smile on their face.  San Diego is the place I'm feeling right now.  In part, because here in Washington we are in that ideal weather season of autumn when for about two months we have the weather of San Diego:  dry, warm, but not hot, little humidity.  Fall is not quite here.  It's not crisp, it's not sweater weather.  It's just perfect weather.

So how does that relate to food?  Because many times I eat what I feel.  I'm not talking about how much I eat given my mood, I mean what kind of food.  Sometimes my mind stimulates that with a yearning for travel.  Sometimes my emotions stimulate that with a desire for comfort food.  Either my mind or my emotions can stimulate a need to get spicy.  Sometimes it's a feeling conjured by an aroma, maybe lemon, or lavender, or oregano.  Menu ideas can even be spurred by a sense of feel, hot and sticky, or cool and crisp.  The San Diego weather outside makes me think of San Diego food.  While I'm not a big fish taco person, putting cole slaw on tacos or BBQ sandwiches is something I just haven't warmed to, I can still conjure feelings of Mexican seafood fusion in my mind.  A little fish or seafood, a little Mexican spices, a little lime and cilantro, that's what I'm talking about.  It helps that rising celebrity chef Marcella Vallodolid of Mexican Made Easy Fame does her shows from a kitchen with windows overlooking San Diego.  How can you not wish you were there sharing in the blue skies and fresh Mexican tastes? 

   

One of Marcella's signature dishes is a rosemary-skewered shrimp marinated in chipotle.  That is a great recipe, but I did a different recipe this evening from her Fresh Mexico cookbook.  Bobby Flay certainly introduced us to the world of chiles and the potential of chipotle.  While Bobby takes many of our American ingredients, and that adds the chili spiced layers, Marcella's recipes seem to start with a more Mexican set of ingredients that also utilize the chili flavors.  True or not, she has shown me how to use Mexican crema and cheeses in recipes.  This shrimp recipe with a chipotle cream sauce does that in spades.  It is fast, easy, flavorful in a Mexican chile way, but also has that tummy coated goodness you want from any sauce.  Try it and find out how.  Serves 2.

   

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour

3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 lb shrimp, peeled

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chiles, plus 1 tbsp of diced, seeded chipotle pepper if a hotter dish is desired

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

   
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the flour, 2 tbsp of cilantro, salt and pepper.  Add the shrimp and toss to coat.  Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp and saute until golden, 2-3 minutes per side.  Transfer the shrimp to a plate.  Add the wine and deglaze the pan.  Boil for 2 minutes and then add the cream, adobo sauce (and chipotle if desired), garlic and Worcestershire sauce.  Stir to mix and boil for 3 minutes to reduce slightly.  Return the shrimp to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce.  Season further with salt and pepper if desired.  Serve over rice and sprinkle with remaining cilantro.