Shrimp in Jalapeño Cream Sauce

When I lived in Miami, I met a boy and this boy was from Nicaragua.  We fell in love, we lived together, he introduced me to his Nicaraguan cuisine, we broke up (twice!) and then we finally decided to go our own way. Ah, to be young and in love. 

Thinking back the only thing that stayed with me was my love for Nicaraguan cuisine. (And that he was cute).

And this Jalapeño Cream Sauce was and still is one of my favorites. Its quick and it can be served with everything from sauteed shrimp to beef.  Pickled Jalapeño chilies are sold in jars and can be found in the ethnic foods section of most supermarkets.

Ingredients

For the Shrimp
1 pound fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 teaspoon of sea salt and pepper or more to taste*
2 tablespoon of butter

*the sauce tends to be a bit spicy, so the shrimp needs to be season with a light hand.

For the Sauce
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely sliced onions
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 to 3 pickeld Jalapeño chilies, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon pickling liquid from Jalapeño, or to taste
1/4 cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Pat dry the shrimps and then season with salt and pepper, you can also add other condiments, but I usually go just with the salt and pepper.  Heat the butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat until butter stops foaming and just starts to turn a light brown. Add the shrimp, and give it a toss, saute for 5 minutes until the shrimp is firm and they turn pink. Remove the shrimp to a side plate and cover to keep warm.

In the same pan, melt butter and add onion and cook over medium heat until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes.

Add the wine and bring to a boil.  Boil wine, uncovered, until reduce to 1 tablespoon, about 4 minutes

Add the cream and sliced chilies.  Briskly simmer the mixture, uncovered, until reduced by one-third, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the pickling liquid, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste.  

Take the shrimp and mix into the pan, heat through but do not let the mixture boil,  about 3-4 minutes.

Remove from the stove and served.  I like it over rice (so the sauce soaks the rice), but any side to your liking will do.

Enjoy!

Comments

[Lisa]

Wow! This looks amazing. The recipe sounds fabulous. Definitely a keeper.

[bfoster]

I recently traveled to Modesto, Ca and ate at a Latin restaurant called Azucar. As I was by myself, I got to talking to the owner, who is Peruvian and lived in Nicaraugua for many years. I asked what he recommended, and prawns with jalapeno cream is what he came up with. As far as I can tell, the sauce was identical to what you have here. They grilled the shrimp, and served them around a cup of the sauce. It was the best shrimp I've ever had! THANK YOU, for posting this. I've been scouring the internet ever since for this delectable sauce recipe.

[bfoster]

Monica- I made this last night, and it was everything I imagined and more! To say it's rich is an understatement, but I knew full well what I was getting into with the ingredients. I made it just as you have it written here...TDF. (And to reference my earlier post, this was exactly like the dish I had in CA) I actually sliced some of the carrots that were in the pickling liquid of the jalapenos that I bought, too- so one tiny little addition. I served it over out-of-the-box rice with some fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime mixed in. Thank you for this recipe! I can't wait to try the sauce with...well....ANYTHING!