← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 700 g large raw prawns, peeled and deveined, tails left on
• 4 Dried guajillo chillies, stems and seeds removed
• 3 dried chiles de árbol (fewer for milder), stems removed
• 300 g ripe tomatoes (about 2)
• ½ small white onion
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 chipotle chilli in adobo (optional)
• ¼ tsp Cumin seeds
• 3 tbsp butter (or olive oil)
• ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp Black pepper
• 1 Lime, cut into wedges

Method

1. Toast the guajillo and árbol chillies in a dry pan over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side, until they smell toasty but haven’t blackened. Soak them in just-boiled water for 10 min.
2. Meanwhile, simmer the tomatoes, onion and garlic in a little water for 5 min, until the tomato skins split.
3. Blend the drained chillies with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle (if using), cumin and 120 ml fresh water until very smooth. Strain the sauce through a sieve for a silky finish.
4. Melt the butter in a wide frying pan over medium heat, pour in the sauce and simmer for 6–8 min, stirring, until it thickens and turns a deep brick red. Season with the salt and pepper.
5. Add the prawns in a single layer and cook for 3–4 min, turning once, until pink and curled. Serve straight away with lime wedges, rice and warm tortillas.

Tips

• Use olive oil instead of butter to make it dairy-free.
• Don’t walk away while toasting the chillies; burnt ones turn the sauce bitter.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Maricruz Avalos My Latina Table