Better and Better

What's better than garlic?

Slow cooked garlic.

Better than that?

Slow cooked garlic with lime juice and chipotles.  Mojo de ajo.

Better still?

Let shrimp in on it.

Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Quick-Fried Shrimp with Sweet Toasty Garlic) from Rick Bayless

Notes: The shrimp were very good.  (Still not my favorite from Rick Bayless...stay tuned in June...wink wink.)  I need to find more uses for Mojo de Ajo.  I mean besides slurpping it up as soup like I wanted to do.  That was seriously good stuff, yall.  I want to try it on everything.

The dish was spicy with the sweet flavor of slow roasted garlic and sourness from the lime juice.  Would make again for sure.


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Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Quick-Fried Shrimp with Sweet Toasty Garlic) 
from Mexico One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless

2 heads garlic, cloves peeled
1 c extra virgin olive oil
salt
juice of 1 lime (large)
1-2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo, seeded and cut into thin strips
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 lbs medium sized shrimp, peeled
3 TBSP chopped cilantro or parsley

Chop the garlic by hand or with a food processor until the pieces are about 1/8" in size. You should have about 1/2 c chopped garlic. Scoop into a small saucepan. Add the oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Set over medium-low heat.  Stir occasionally and bring the mixture to barely a simmer.  Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is a soft pale golden color--about 30 minutes.  The slower the cooking, the sweeter the garlic.

Add lime juice and simmer until most of the juice has evaporated--about 5 minutes.  Stir in the chiles, then taste and add more salt if needed.  Keep the mojo on low heat so the garlic is warm when the shrimp are ready.

Set a large, heavy, nonstick skillet over medium high heat and spoon 1 1/2 TBSP of the oil (but no garlic) from the mojo.  Add half the shrimp and sprinkle with salt.  Stir gently and continuously until the shrimp are just cooked through, 3-4 minutes.  Stir in half the cilantro or parsley.  Remove to a serving platter.  Repeat with another 1 1/2 TBSP of the oil and the remaining shrimp.  When the shrimp are done, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the warm garlic and chiles.  Scatter over the shrimp.  If you are a garlic lover, you are about to have the treat of your life.

You may have as much as 1/3 c mojo left--use it to saute anything.

Make ahead: the mojo will keep refrigerated for a couple of weeks.  The oil will become solid, but will liquefy at room temperature.  Warm slowly before using.


This week's See Ya In the Gumbo can be found here.



Linking with I Heart Cooking Clubs.   This week's theme: POTLUCK!



Cookbook Sundays @ Couscous and Consciousness


Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday Lemon & Lime theme

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