The weather has been unseasonably warm in our neck of the woods lately. Temperatures have stayed in the 70′s for over two weeks and I’ve actually been having to run the air conditioner for short periods during the afternoon to keep the house cool. With the warmer weather comes lighter foods and brighter flavors, sort of a fond farewell to winter, which seems to have left us alone for now.
This dish is a direct reflection of the weather. I made it at the end of a nice warm day with crisp blue skies and the slightest of breezes. A storm had passed to the north of us and the wind carried the scent of water. The conditions were perfect, and as the sun started sinking over the plains it almost felt like we were near the ocean, not 300 miles away from it. It made me want shrimp and a good margarita.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough tequila in the house to make more than one drink and it would have been rude to have one without my wife. Facing this truth, I decided to simply combine the flavors. I marinated the shrimp in the margarita. A little Spanish rice made from my wife’s grandmother’s family recipe and all was good with the world. I couldn’t go to the ocean, but the flavors of the ocean came to us. Perfect.
Margarita Shrimp with Spanish rice
Ingredients:
- Approximately 1/2 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled, cleaned and deveined.
- 1 oz. good tequila.
- 4 0z. margarita mix.
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro.
- 2 cups long grain white rice.
- 1-6 oz. can diced tomato and green chilies
- 1 – 8 oz. can tomato sauce.
- 3 cloves garlic, minced.
- 1/2 of a small can of tomato paste (approximately 4 tbsp.)
- 1 tbsp cumin.
- Seasoned salt, Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups water.
- 3 tbsp. olive oil.
Method:
Place Shrimp in a zipper sealed plastic storage bag. Stir together margarita mix and tequila and pour over shrimp. Seal and place in refrigerator.
Meanwhile, drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil into the bottom of a hot dutch oven or other heavy pot with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. Add rice and stir until lightly toasted and the rice smells slightly nutty. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring every few minutes for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and allow to rest with the lid on.
Drain Shrimp. Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil to bottom of pan and swirl to coat well. Cook shrimp in batches, approximately 1-1/2 minute per side. at end of cooking, toss in a bit of cilantro and stir once before removing to a warm plate while the rest of the shrimp is cooked.
Place rice on plate and place shrimp around plate. Serve immediately.
Share and Enjoy!
What I would have done Differently had I thought of it at the time:
Make sure that you don’t marinate the shrimp for longer than 20 minutes! I did and the tequila flavor was a bit overwhelming. I’ve already adjusted the amount of tequila in the recipe down a bit.
Other than that, I’m in love with this recipe. It’s something I’ll happily make again.
Links to other recipes like this:
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Great photo, Jerry. Loving the colors! And I have to say this has my tastebuds working. Love the green chilis and the whole idea of marinating the shrimp in a margarita. Very nice. Sorry it took so long for me to come over to drool — I’ve been trying to stay on task so haven’t visited ONE single bloggy buddy today which makes me very sad. Guess I’ll be doing that tomorrow? Jeez. I need a few more hours a day.
What a beautiful dish! Great photo, too. I love the idea of doing margarita shrimp. They’re so versatile, aren’t they?
so beautiful! and looks amazingly delicious!
These shrimp look so delicious! And you can never go wrong with spanish rice.
i’ll take two ;)
kellypea,
It’s one of those ideas that just “popped in”. I had to try it once I thought of it. It’s worth playing around with! don’t worry about not having any time. It’s taken me days just to find the time to reply! We all get busy at times.
Elle,
Shrimp are one of my all-time favorite foods. You can do almost anything with ‘em!
Jo,
It was good enough that I ate nearly a full pound of shrimp myself! (can you say chubby?!?)
Sara,
Spanish rice is the new pilaf. But then chartreuse is the new black, so what do I know?
Sarah,
C’mon over, I’ll make more!
OOOOHHH! I love how this sounds.. One of my favorite foods combined with one of my MOST favorite drinks. You are wonderful!!
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