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1
Season the Shrimp
10 Mins
Room temperature; keep below 21°C (70°F)
Pat the shrimp very dry, then toss with the lime juice, half the salt, the black pepper and the sazon. Leave for 10 minutes while you chop the vegetables; any longer and the lime juice will start to cook the shrimp.
Dry shrimp brown instead of steaming, which keeps them plump and pink rather than grey and rubbery.
Done when: Shrimp evenly coated, smelling of lime and garlic.
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2
Soften the Sofrito
8 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet or caldero over medium heat. Add the onion, both peppers and the garlic with the sofrito and cook, stirring often, for about 8 minutes until the vegetables are soft, sweet and glossy, and the pan smells fragrant.
Do not rush this step: a properly softened sofrito is what makes the sauce taste Dominican instead of simply tomatoey.
Done when: Vegetables soft and translucent, edges just starting to colour.
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3
Build the Tomato Sauce
10 Mins
Medium-low heat, about 150°C (300°F)
Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste with the sliced olives and 120 ml (1/2 cup) of water. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon and the tomatoes have melted into it.
If the sauce looks thin, simmer 2 minutes longer; if it looks thick, add a splash of water. It should be saucy, not soupy.
Done when: Thick, glossy red sauce that coats the spoon.
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4
Stew the Shrimp
6 Mins
Medium heat; shrimp must reach 63°C (145°F)
Add the shrimp in a single layer and stir to coat. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, just until every shrimp has curled into a C shape and turned bright pink and opaque all the way through. Do not cover the pan.
Shrimp overcook in seconds: pull the pan off the heat the moment the last shrimp turns opaque, as they keep cooking in the hot sauce.
Done when: All shrimp pink and opaque, curled into a C, never a tight O.
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5
Finish with Lime and Cilantro
2 Mins
Off the heat
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the cilantro and the remaining lime juice, and taste. Add the rest of the salt only if the olives and sazon have not seasoned it enough. Rest for 2 minutes so the sauce settles, then serve at once.
Taste before adding more salt: olives and sazon are salty, and an over-salted sauce cannot be fixed.
Done when: Sauce bright and balanced, shrimp glossy and pink.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the shrimp and sauce spooned over white rice, with lime wedges on the side so each person can sharpen their own plate.
Dominican Republic
3h 15m
