Camarones a la Diabla

Today I'm sharing what has to be my second favorite shrimp dish...Camarones a la Diabla (Mexican Deviled Shrimp).  Actually, whenever I make this dish I question why it's not my all-time favorite.  It's so incredibly delicious, and the sauce is finger lickin' good.  But then a couple of days later I'll make that other shrimp dish and remember exactly why it's my favorite.  But Camarones a la Diabla are a very close second favorite.  Maybe I should just say that they're tied for first.  It's like asking which of my children I love most.  That impossible!  I can't choose just one, because I love all four of them.  Same goes for Camarones a la Diabla.  

Camarones a la Diabla is shrimp cooked in a fiery red spicy salsa that some prefer to be hotter than Hades.  But the level of heat is totally up to you.  Not big on spice?  That's okay!  You can get away with adding just one dried chile de arbol just for a little flavor.  Or if you prefer something a lot hotter, add more chilies.  I like to add a couple of dried guajillos, which don't provide any heat of all, because they intensify the color of the salsa.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you don't have to peel the shrimp.  My suegra prepares her camarones a la diabla unpeeled and with the shrimp heads attached.  Sucking out the sauce from each individual shrimp is half of the fun of eating this dish.  Add some Arroz Blanco (white rice) and a salad and you've got yourself one delicious meal.

Camarones a la Diabla

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 roma tomatoes
• Dried chiles de arbol 
• 2 dried guajillo chilies 
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lb. shrimp, deveined

Directions:

Bring the tomatoes, 6 arbol chilies, and the guajillo chilies to a boil in a medium saucepan with 2 cups of water.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Remove stems from both chilies, and the seeds from the guajillo chile.  Puree the chilies and the tomatoes, along with the water they were cooked in, in a blender until smooth; season with salt and set aside. 

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and saute for about 1 minute.  Add the minced garlic and saute for an additional 30 seconds.  Add the shrimp and saute until fully cooked.  Reduce heat to low and pour the A La Diabla sauce over the shrimp and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly.  Serve with Sopa de Arroz Blanco and accompany with crusty garlic bread or tostadas.  Enjoy!!!

You might also like these delicious Mexican shrimp dishes: 

• Coctel de Camaron (Mexican Shrimp Cocktail) 
• Camarones a la Mexicana (Mexican Style Shrimp) 
• Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Garlic Shrimp) 
• Easy Ceviche de Camaron (Shrimp Ceviche)