October happened right on cue this year. The first was a chilly evening, and by the eighth, the snowflakes were flying.
For some, cool weather brings on cravings for spicy food. Changing leaves bring thoughts of green chile stews, spreads of Ethiopian doro wat, curries from every corner of the map.
Treat fiery spices with caution — never use so much that the spice overpowers the flavor nuances of chile or ginger or garlic. Too much heat, and the dish is DOA.
This week brings a charming and smart new cookbook, “Antojitos: Festive and Flavorful Mexican Small Plates,” by Barbara Sibley and Margaritte Malfy (with Mary Goodbody).
Sibley and Malfy’s La Palapa restaurants in downtown Manhattan, where patrons sip bottles of very, very cold Mexican beer and gnaw on pork ribs adobo, are known as laid-back hangouts for New Yorkers tired of the stiff, chef-obsessed overcrowded New York restaurant scene. And for displaced Westerners, an oasis of Mexican food in the otherwise chile-challenged landscape.
This recipe for “Sauteed Shrimp in a Fiery Salsa,” perfect for seasonal heat-seekers who like a smooth, earthy, slightly sweet finish to their spice.
What they don’t say about this dish in the book is: This recipe, like many small-scale dishes, is best eaten straight out of the skillet with three or four friends that you’ve gathered around the stove. Just break up some bread and pass around some forks.
And, of course, bottles of very, very cold beer.
Sauteed Shrimp in a Fiery Salsa
Casuelita de camarones a la diablaFrom “Antojitos,” (Ten Speed Press). Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 pasilla (dried chilaca) chiles (or other medium-heat dried chile), seeded, membranes removed and cut into 1/2-inch- thick rounds
3 ancho (dried poblano) chiles (or other medium-heat dried chile), seeded, membranes removed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
18 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tail shell intact
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
Directions
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender but not browned.
Add the chiles and raise the heat to high. When the pan is hot, add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring and shaking the pan to ensure even cooking, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are pink but still translucent. Remove from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate or shallow bowl, leaving as much pan sauce as possible in the skillet.
Return the skillet to medium heat. Stir in the wine, simmer for about 30 seconds, then return the shrimp to the skillet. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. As soon as the liquid boils, remove the skillet from the heat.
Serve piping hot.
