Advertisement

Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce)

Cooking seafood at home doesn’t have to be an intimidating activity. Take this recipe for camarones al mojo de ajo, or shrimp in garlic sauce, from Esteban Castillo’s cookbook Chicano Eats. The whole dish comes together in about 15 minutes (and it’s tastier than anything at a fancy restaurant).

“Camarones al mojo de ajo, a traditional Mexican dish similar to Italian shrimp scampi, have everything I love all in one dish: shrimp, butter and tons of garlic!” Castillo writes. “Start by melting the butter and infusing it with black pepper, lemon zest and garlic. After you let it bloom for a bit, add the shrimp with the shell on to make sure the sauce clings to every single crevice. Be sure to serve these shrimp with arroz blanco (white rice) and a few dinner rolls, because this sauce will have you wanting to sop up every last drop!”

From the book Chicano Eats: Recipes from My Mexican-American Kitchen by Esteban Castillo. Copyright © 2020 by Esteban Castillo. Published on June 30, 2020 by Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.

RELATED: Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce)

Servings: 5 servings

Time:

Ingredients:

1½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Grated zest of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 pounds jumbo shrimp, shell on and deveined (21 to 25 shrimp)

Arroz blanco, lemon wedges and dinner rolls, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Once the butter has melted and bubbles have begun to form, whisk in the salt, lemon zest, and black pepper, and cook for about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes to infuse into the butter.

2. Add the shrimp and toss in the melted butter. Let them cook on one side for 5 to 6 minutes, then flip and let cook until they turn completely pink in color, another 5 to 6 minutes, then remove from the heat. Taste for salt and adjust, then serve with arroz blanco, lemon wedges and your favorite dinner rolls.

PureWow may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from PureWow's editorial and sales departments.