I don’t usually make a lot of stews.  They’re delicious, but they’re just not in my regular rotation for some reason.  However, I had just bought shrimp and wanted to try something different.  This recipe certainly fit the bill.   I suspect Enchilado de Camerones is somewhat similar to the sopas I’ve had in parts of Ecuador or Costa Rica.  Ah, those sopas – if you’re ever traveling in Central America, I highly recommend finding a delicious hole-in-the-wall, even though your doctor might have a fit.

Enchilado de Camerones is a soulful seafood stew that originates from Cuba.  Although I use shrimp, it can be made with any type of seafood – lobster and crab are common alternatives.   The overall cooking process is pretty straightforward.  First, you marinade the seafood.  Then, you stew it in a spicy tomato based sauce brewed with beer and/or wine.

Prep Time: 10 minutes + 1 hour for marination
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
3. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
4. 1 onion, diced
5. 1 red bell pepper, diced
6. 3 cloves garlic, minced
7. 2-3 tomatoes, diced
8. 2 tbsp tomato paste
9. 1/2 cup dry white wine
10. 1 cup dark beer
11. 1-2 bay leaf
12. 3 Tbsp parsley chopped
13. 1 Tbsp oil
14. Salt and ground black pepper

Instructions:

Marinade the seafood

1. In a bowl or Tupperware, combine the shrimp, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of cumin with salt and pepper.  Mix well and let sit for an hour in the refrigerator.

Make the stew

1. While the shrimp is marinating, heat the oil on medium heat.
2. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and the rest of the cumin.
3. Cook until the onions soften, then raise the heat to high and stir in the tomato paste and tomatoes.
4. Cook for a minute to let the tomato paste and tomatoes mix.  Then, stir in the wine or beer and bayleaf.  (I went with dark beer.)  Bring to a boil and let the sauce reduce and thicken a bit.
5. Stir in the shrimp and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the shrimp is firm and pink and the sauce is richly flavored.
6. If the sauce is too dry, add a little more wine or beer. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season with salt, black pepper, and more cumin, if desired. Sprinkle the cilantro or parsley on top.
7. Serve!  Rice or bread are great complements.