Inspired by an amazing lobster dish I first tasted in Varadero, Cuba, and adapted from a recipe in A Taste of Old Cuba: More Than 150 Recipes for Delicious, Authentic, and Traditional Dishes by Maria Josefa O'Higgins. Serves 6 (with couscous or rice).
3 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
6 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sugar
8 oz tomato sauce
1/4 tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce, or more to taste
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
If using frozen shrimp, defrost under cold running water. Fresh shrimp may need to be peeled and deveined.
In
a large pan on top of the stove, heat the oil over medium-high heat,
and sauté the onions and green pepper for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and
cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the
shrimp, cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes.
Add the shrimp, cover, and cook over low heat for 6-8 minutes until
shrimp are just cooked through. Turn off heat and set aside until ready
to serve with hot rice.
For fun, cook the rice with half
chicken broth and half water. Add a pinch of turmeric for yellow rice;
add saffron for a more luxurious yellow rice. Black beans also makes a
great accompaniment for this dish.
NOTE: If you have extra
sauce, keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can add more shrimp,
or diced chicken breast, or scallops, and make a second meal. The sauce
will get better and better.