hi!
happy friday!
wanna go on a date?
just like most, when five o’clock on a friday hits, i am craving a date night! what cures that craving for more cowbell date night? i LOVE me some tapas + sangria!
back in chicago, aj + i loved a local tapas restaurant called cafe iberico. under their roof we celebrated a couple of our anniversaries, a few family get-togethers, handfuls of group dinners among friends + could sometimes be found bellied up to their bar after a looong work day.
so, what are tapas, you ask? think of tapas as spanish snacks. you can order one for a light bite or order five + voila, you’ve now had dinner! as aj + i started to become more adventurous with food, the idea of tapas really appealed to us because it allowed for us to dabble in unexplored flavors + to share! and guys, i don’t know if you’ve heard, but sharing is caring!
this recipe combines flavors from a few of my favorite tapas. it starts with a good amount of white wine + garlic, inspired by the classic tapa, gambas al ajillo. then, a few notable flavors from shrimp ceviche make an appearance + lastly, we spice things up {PUNS!} with the heat of a habañero.
so i say we heat things up + take our internet friendship to the next level. garlic-habañero shrimp is on the menu! if that doesn’t convince ya – then how about i slice up a warm-from-the-oven baguette for dipping. i knew that’d get ya!
- 1 lb medium-sized raw shrimp, peeled + deveined
- ½ cup white wine
- 8 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 tbsp worcestershire
- 1 lime, juiced
- 8 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 habañero, finely minced
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- preheat the oven to 400º
- in a medium sized bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients
- add the shrimp to the marinade mixture + let sit for 10 minutes to marinate
- place the shrimp, including the marinade, into an oven safe dish. cook in the oven for 7 minutes
- remove from the oven + let sit for 5 minutes before serving
- serve with sliced baguette for soaking up broth
my recipe calls for a full habañero, which yields a pretty big heat kick in the pants. if you’re a bit more shy to heat, either drop down the amount to ½ of a habañero or use a milder chili of your choice! {your mildest option being a seeded + de-ribbed jalapeño}
the habañero chiles in this recipe will overwhelm most wines. instead, try a rebujito, the cocktail of choice during the local ferias, or street fairs, in southern spain. fill a highball with ice, add in a few ounces of fino sherry + top it off with sprite {or tonic with fresh squeezed lemon juice, if you prefer!}. give the glass a few stirs + you’ve got a refreshing new spin on the spritzer!
take these from the dipping bowl to the bbq! whisk together the marinade, skewer the shrimp {jumbo shrimp would be perfect here}, baste + grill ’em up! they would make for the perfect handheld backyard app! or assemble the skewers + a healthy drizzle of the marinade over a plate of spanish quinoa. yum!
have a few extra habañeros? don’t be like this guy. ouchie.
join along as kelly posts, pins + peruses for inspiration in her ambitious kitchen!
Not kidding…Its actually making my mouth water…..Looks irresistible 🙂
thank you for stopping by Teena! your comment means a lot! hope you get to try the dish soon!