Serious Eats: Recipes
Dinner Tonight: Dark Chile Shrimp Soup with Epazote
I have to pace myself with Rick Bayless recipes, or this column would quickly turn into a forum exclusively dedicated to his work. But as I was watching his Mexico: One Plate at a Time program on a lazy Saturday, I came across a recipe that looked a little too good to ignore. The main focus of the show was tamales, but it was the simple bowl of dark chile shrimp soup that immediately drew my attention. It looked both simple to prepare and absolutely loaded with complex chile flavor. I'm a sucker for this stuff.
The base of the soup is made up of dried pasilla chiles (an ingredient I use often) and dried shrimp (one I, um, don't). I have seen them before at my local Mexican market but couldn't imagine how I'd use the things. Turns out you just chuck them in whole, blend them up, and then they disappear into the abyss, only leaving their slightly fishy, nutty flavor behind.
Don't forget about the lime juice—it adds a much needed brightness to the intriguing dish. Some avocado wouldn't hurt either.