Description
In coastal Oaxaca, both fresh and dried shrimp appear in all kinds of preparations. In this recipe, they bring texture and intense umami flavor to a classic pico de gallo. Dry shrimp is a very popular ingredient in Mexican recipes and it is not surprising that Mexico produces large quantities of dried shrimp using the sun drying technique. With this drying process the shrimp become smaller but intensifies its flavor. The dry shrimp sauce with chipotle chile is a preparation that surprises you by the mixture of strong flavors that combine in a very subtle way. It is a very interesting sauce for its marine flavor that is wrapped with the touch of the smoked and almost sweet chipotle chili.
Ingredients
1 lb. plum tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
4 oz. Mexican dried shrimp (available at melissas.com), soaked overnight, drained and roughly chopped
1/4 cup roughly chopped pickled jalapeños, plus 2 tbsp. brine from jar
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 small white onion, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 limes
Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, shrimp, jalapeños plus brine, cilantro, onion, and juice. Season with salt, and let sit at room temperature to meld flavors, at least 1 hour.