3 lg Ancho chilies; diced * 3 tb Butter
1 c Water; boiling 1/2 lb Medium shrimp; peel, devein
1 tb Rice vinegar 1/4 c Tequila
2 sm Garlic cloves 1 1/2 c Heavy cream
1/2 ts Dried oregano; crumbled 1/2 lb Penne pasta
1/4 ts Salt 1/4 c Fresh cilantro; minced
*Stem, seed and slightly crumble dried ancho chilies.
*******************************************************
****************** Place chilies in medium bowl. Add 1 cup boiling
water and let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Transfer chilies to blender.
Add vinegar, garlic, oregano and salt. Blend until smooth. (Chili
paste can be prepared 1 day ahead. Transfer to bowl. Cover tightly
and refrigerate.) Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium
heat. Add shrimp and saute until just pink, about 3 minutes. Remove
skillet from heat. Add tequila. Ignite with match. Return to heat and
cook until flames subside. Transfer shrimp to bowl using slotted
spoon. Cover with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to high./ Boil
tequila until reduced to 1 Tbsp. Add cream to skillet and boil until
reduced to sauce consistency, about 5 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. chili
paste and stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Return
shrimp to sauce. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted
water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring
occasionally. Drain. Transfer to large bowl. Pour sauce over pasta,
tossing to coat. Divide among plates. Sprinkle with cilantro and
serve.
Yields
4 servings
