Cazuela de Camarones (Chilean Shrimp Stew)

About This Recipe

Cazuela is the mother of Chilean cooking — an ancient stew format that pre-dates Spanish colonization, adapted across centuries to incorporate whatever the landscape provides. The coastal cazuela de camarones is one of its most celebrated forms: large Pacific shrimp (camarones del norte from the Atacama coastline are prized) simmered gently in a saffron-gold broth enriched with a slow-cooked sofrito of onion, tomato and ají de color, surrounded by rounds of potato, wedges of zapallo (Chilean winter squash) and cob-sections of corn. The dish follows the structure of all Chilean cazuelas: a clear, clean broth with distinct pieces of protein and vegetable floating in it, served in deep individual bowls with the integrity of each ingredient preserved. This is not a thick stew — the broth should be amber and aromatic, tasting of shrimp and saffron and the gentle sweetness of long-cooked onion. The shrimp should be just cooked, still succulent and tender, added at the very end so they do not overcook in the residual heat. Chilean cazuela is always served with a lemon wedge, a bunch of fresh cilantro, and merkén (smoked Mapuche chile spice) on the side for those who want heat. Rice or crusty bread accompanies to absorb the fragrant broth.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 glarge raw shrimp(peeled and deveined, tails on)
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1 largewhite onion(finely diced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 mediumtomatoes(peeled and diced)
• 2 tspají de color or sweet paprika
• 0.25 tspsaffron threads(steeped in 2 tbsp warm water)
• 1 litrefish or vegetable stock
• 3 mediumpotatoes(peeled, cut into large chunks)
• 300 gzapallo or butternut squash(peeled, cut into wedges)
• 2 earsfresh corn(cut into 4 cm rounds)
• 1 tspsalt(plus more to taste)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 1 bunchfresh cilantro(roughly chopped)
• 1lemon(cut into wedges, for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the sofrito

   Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion 10 minutes until soft and golden. Add garlic, cook 2 minutes. Add diced tomato and ají de color, cook 5 minutes until the tomato breaks down.

2. 2

   Add stock and saffron

   Pour in the stock and saffron (with its soaking water). Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil.

3. 3

   Cook the vegetables

   Add potato chunks and squash. Simmer 10 minutes. Add corn rounds and continue simmering 8–10 minutes until potatoes are tender when pierced.

4. 4

   Add the shrimp

   Reduce heat to low. Add shrimp and simmer very gently 3–4 minutes until they are pink and just curled. Do not boil — shrimp overcook instantly.

   The shrimp continue cooking from residual heat after you turn off the flame, so remove from heat when they are just barely opaque.

5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Scatter fresh cilantro over the cazuela. Ladle into deep bowls, ensuring each bowl receives shrimp, potato, squash and corn. Serve with lemon wedges.

Variations

• •

  Cazuela de mariscos: use a mix of clams, mussels, shrimp and squid.

• •

  Cazuela de pollo: substitute chicken thighs for the shrimp — simmer 25 minutes instead.

Storage

Store broth and shrimp separately in the refrigerator. Reheat broth with vegetables and add raw shrimp on reheating — already-cooked shrimp turn rubbery when reheated. Consume within 2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions