This is a great holiday appetizer that takes no time at all to prepare! I've written it with a Southwest flavour, but I have included Greek & Thai variations below. Happy Holidays!
Baked Garlic Lime Shrimp with Chipotle Dipping Sauce
1 pound shrimp, peeled & deveined, thawed
1/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 TSP smoked bittersweet paprika (available at Sous Chef)
juice and zest of one lime
salt, pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsely, for garnish, if desired
Preheat oven to 425F.
Place the shrimp on layers of paper towel to absorb as much water as possible; if there is excess water, the shrimp will poach, rather than bake. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the shrimp, stirring well to combine. Add the shrimp, tossing to coat. Set aside while preparing the dipping sauce. Do not allow the shrimp to marinate more than 30 minutes or they will begin to toughen.
Chipotle Dipping Sauce:
equal parts mayonnaise & sour cream, roughly 1/3 to 1/2 cup each
1 TBSP honey
juice of half a lime
2 TSP pureed chipotles in adobo sauce (chipotles are ripened jalapenos that have been smoked & dried; adobo sauce is a spicy tomato sauce. These are found in small cans in the Mexican section of stores including Safeway & Walmart)
salt, pepper to taste
Mix ingredients together & set aside.
Place the shrimp on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tails have turned pink & the shrimp are slightly pink and just beginning to brown.
Garnish with parsley & serve immediately.
Variations:
Greek - substitute lemons for limes in the recipe; omit paprika and subst. with oregano. For the dip, omit chipotles in adobo and add one clove minced garlic, the juice and zest of one lemon.
Thai - omit the smoked paprika and add a tablespoon of minced fresh ginger to the marinade. Serve with a spicy peanut dipping sauce. I've included a recipe, but you could always use a commercially prepared sauce:
3/4 cruncy peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)
2 to 4 TBSP hot water
~ 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 to 2 TSP Asian Chili sauce (Sambal Oelek)
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP dark brown sugar
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 TSP chili flakes
1 TSP fresh grated ginger
1 TSP fish sauce (optional)
optional: fresh Thai basil, for garnish (avail. at the Eastern market on Ave B south)
Mix together & set aside.
