Caldo de camarón
Spicy shrimp broth
Caldo de camarón: spicy guajillo shrimp broth with carrots and potatoes from Mexico's Pacific and Gulf coasts
At beach stalls in Mazatlán and Veracruz and in market fondas in Mexico City, a steaming, brick-red caldo de camarón is the cure for a long night and the Lenten Friday lunch of choice. The broth gets its depth from shrimp shells and dried guajillo chillies, and shell-on prawns, carrot, potato and courgette are cooked in it briefly at the end. Serve with lime, chopped onion and coriander, and tostadas. Chef's tip: add the prawns only in the last 3 minutes; they keep cooking in the bowl and toughen quickly.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb raw shell-on prawns
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 5 dried guajillo chilliesstemmed and seeded
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 white onionhalf for the broth, half finely chopped to serve
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 carrotssliced
- 2 waxy potatoespeeled and diced
- 1 courgettediced
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 limesin wedges
- 1 small bunch fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Check the 1 ⅓ lb raw shell-on prawns: they should smell clean and of the sea. Throw away any that smell of ammonia or feel slimy. Peel all but 8 of them (leave those whole for show), keeping the shells, and devein. Keep the prawns in the fridge.
10 minStep 2: Simmer the shells in the 6 ¼ cups water for 15 minutes, then strain, pressing on the shells.
15 minStep 3: Soak the 5 dried guajillo chillies and 2 dried chiles de árbol in some of the hot stock for 10 minutes, then blend with 2 tomatoes, half the ½ white onion, 3 cloves garlic and 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano until smooth.
12 minStep 4: Heat the 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot and fry the purée over a medium heat for 5 minutes until it darkens. Add the strained stock, 2 carrots, 2 waxy potatoes and 1 ½ tsp salt and simmer 12 minutes. Add the 1 courgette and cook 4 minutes more until all the vegetables are tender.
21 minStep 5: Add the prawns and simmer 2–3 minutes, just until they turn pink and opaque all the way through. A common mistake is boiling them for ten minutes, which makes them rubbery.
3 minStep 6: Serve straight away with the rest of the ½ white onion, the 1 small bunch fresh coriander and 2 limes.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does caldo de camarón take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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