Mexican Garlic Shrimp Stew (Caldo de Camarón)

About This Recipe

Caldo de camarón is a staple along Mexico's Pacific coast, a warming, chili-red stew built on a base of dried guajillo chiles blended with tomato and a generous amount of garlic, simmered with potato and carrot before shrimp go in at the very end. It's the kind of dish fishing communities make with whatever's fresh from the boats that day, stretched with vegetables and a flavorful broth. Toasting the dried guajillo chiles briefly before soaking and blending brings out their fruity, slightly smoky character, and straining the blended sauce removes any tough bits of chile skin that would otherwise make the broth gritty. A generous hit of garlic, both blended into the base and added again toward the end, keeps its flavor present and distinct rather than mellowing into the background. Shrimp, including the shells if you have them, add the most flavor when simmered briefly rather than boiled hard — overcooked shrimp turn rubbery fast. Served with lime, warm corn tortillas, and a bit of hot sauce on the side, this is comfort food built for a cold or rainy day along the coast.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 glarge shrimp, shell-on, peeled with shells reserved
• 5 wholedried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 wholetomatoes
• 8 clovegarlic, divided
• 1 wholeonion, chopped
• 1.5 Lwater or fish stock
• 2 wholepotatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 wholecarrots, sliced
• 3 tbspoil
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 1 wholelime, juiced, plus wedges for serving
• 0.25 cupcilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast and soak the chiles

   Toast guajillo chiles in a dry skillet 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Soak in hot water 15 minutes to soften.

2. 2

   Make the shrimp stock

   Simmer reserved shrimp shells in the water or stock for 15 minutes to build flavor, then strain and discard shells.

3. 3

   Blend the sauce

   Blend soaked guajillos, tomatoes, half the garlic, and onion with a splash of the shrimp stock until smooth. Strain through a sieve.

4. 4

   Cook the base

   Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Pour in the strained sauce and simmer, stirring, for 8-10 minutes until slightly darkened and thickened.

5. 5

   Add the stock and vegetables

   Add remaining shrimp stock, potatoes, carrots, and salt. Simmer 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.

6. 6

   Add the shrimp

   Mince remaining garlic and stir in along with the shrimp. Simmer 3-4 minutes until the shrimp are just pink and cooked through.

7. 7

   Finish and serve

   Stir in lime juice, garnish with cilantro, and serve hot with extra lime wedges and warm tortillas.

Variations

• •

  Add clams or a firm white fish along with the shrimp for a mixed seafood version.

• •

  Use pasilla or ancho chiles instead of guajillo for a milder, slightly sweeter broth.

• •

  Add a chopped chayote squash along with the potato and carrot.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days; reheat gently on the stove, adding fresh shrimp if reheating more than once since the original shrimp will overcook.

Frequently Asked Questions