Irresistible Camarones Culichi

This rich Camarones Culichi has turned into my favorite weekend seafood treat, making regular dinners feel like beachside Mexican feasts right at home. The smooth, bright green poblano mix hugging plump shrimp makes a perfect blend of tastes that takes me straight to Sinaloa every time I take a bite.

I first cooked this after coming back from a vacation on Mexico's west coast, and it quickly became what I always make when friends come over. Seeing their happy faces when they try the silky poblano sauce makes all the kitchen work worthwhile.

Ingredients

• Shrimp: 1 ½ pounds big shrimp peeled and cleaned. Go for fresh or top-notch frozen ones to get the nicest taste and feel
• Poblano peppers: 2. These give you that classic green look and gentle warmth that makes the dish special
• Jalapeño pepper: optional. Throws in extra kick if you want your sauce with more heat
• White onion: ½, cut into chunks. Gives the sauce its needed flavor base
• Garlic: 2 cloves chopped fine. Makes the sauce taste even better
• Cream cheese: 4 oz softened. Creates that wonderful smoothness that culichi sauce is known for
• Mexican crema: ½ cup, or sour cream. Adds a bit of tang and slick texture to balance the richness
• Monterey Jack cheese: ½ cup shredded. Melts so nicely into the sauce for extra goodness
• Milk or heavy cream: ¼ cup if you need it. Helps you get your sauce just the right thickness
• Butter: 2 tablespoons. Makes a tasty base for cooking
• Olive oil: 1 tablespoon. Keeps butter from burning while adding its own taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper: to taste. Needed to bring all flavors together
• Lime wedges: for serving. The fresh tang cuts through the rich sauce
• Fresh cilantro: chopped for topping. Adds a fresh, herby finish

Step-by-Step Instructions

Roast the Poblano Peppers:

Put your peppers under a hot broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, flipping them every couple minutes until the skin gets black and bubbly all over. This burning doesn't just make the skin easier to take off but builds a deep smoky flavor that's key to real culichi sauce. You can also burn them over an open flame on your gas stove or on a hot grill if you'd rather.

Steam and Peel the Peppers:

Move your burnt peppers right away to a bowl and wrap it tight with plastic. Let them sit for a full 15 minutes. The heat makes steam that lifts the skin from the pepper meat, making it way easier to peel. After sitting, softly rub off the black skin with your fingers under a bit of cool water. Cut open the peppers and carefully take out all seeds and white parts.

Create the Aromatic Base:

Warm butter and olive oil in a big pan over medium heat until the butter's all melted and starts to bubble a bit. Throw in the chopped onion, stirring often for about 4 minutes until it goes clear but isn't brown. Add the chopped garlic and keep cooking another minute until you can smell it, being careful not to let it brown since that can make it taste bitter.

Blend the Culichi Sauce:

Put your peeled poblanos, cooked onion and garlic mix, cream cheese, Mexican crema, and Monterey Jack cheese in a blender. Mix on high for about 2 minutes until totally smooth. The sauce should be thick but can be poured, kind of like cream soup. If it seems too thick, add milk or cream a spoonful at a time while blending until it looks right.

Cook the Shrimp:

Pour your fresh blended sauce back in the pan and let it simmer gently over medium low heat, stirring now and then so it doesn't burn. Once the sauce is hot, add your cleaned shrimp, making sure they're laid out flat. Cook for exactly 2 minutes, then flip each shrimp and keep cooking another 2 to 3 minutes until they curl into a C shape and turn fully white with a pink glow.

Final Seasoning and Serving:

Try the sauce and add salt and fresh ground black pepper as needed. Remember the cheese makes it salty already, so go slow with the salt. Move it to a serving dish, squeeze fresh lime juice on top, and sprinkle lots of chopped cilantro. Serve right away while still hot and bubbly.

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Fresh poblano peppers are really what makes this dish special. I tried making it with canned peppers once when I was in a hurry, and though it wasn't bad, it missed that wonderful roasted flavor that makes culichi sauce so amazing. My grandmother always said taking time to properly burn, steam and peel fresh peppers is what turns good Mexican cooking into fantastic Mexican cooking.

Serving Suggestions

Camarones Culichi tastes best when you serve it with warm, fresh corn tortillas on the side. You can use the tortillas to mop up extra sauce or to make quick tacos with the shrimp. For a full meal, I like to add Mexican red rice and simple black beans. The rice soaks up the leftover sauce perfectly, making every bite amazing.

Make-Ahead and Storage

You can make the culichi sauce up to two days early and keep it in a sealed container in your fridge. When you want to eat, just warm up the sauce in a pan over medium-low heat until hot, then cook the shrimp. Leftover Camarones Culichi will stay good in the fridge for up to two days, though the shrimp might get a bit tough when warmed up again. For best results, warm it slowly in a covered pan over low heat.

Regional Variations

While this is the classic Sinaloan way to make it, coastal areas all through Mexico have their own tasty versions. In Nayarit, some folks add coconut milk to the sauce for a sweet tropical twist. In Veracruz, they might mix in olives and capers. Some inland versions even throw in corn for extra sweetness and texture. Feel free to try these regional touches to make it your own way.

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FAQs About the Recipe

→ What type of shrimp works best for Camarones Culichi?

Big shrimp with shells and veins taken out work great for Camarones Culichi. They soak up the rich sauce really well and stay soft when cooked right.

→ Can I make the sauce spicier?

Absolutely! Throw in a jalapeño or maybe a serrano when you're blending everything to crank up the heat, just go with what you like.

→ What sides go well with Camarones Culichi?

It tastes amazing with plain rice, Mexican rice, hot tortillas, or even some refried beans on the side for a filling meal.

→ How do I prevent the shrimp from overcooking?

Just cook the shrimp until they turn pink and you can't see through them anymore, usually about 3-5 minutes. Don't leave them cooking too long.

→ Can I make the sauce ahead of time?

For sure, you can make the sauce a couple days early and keep it in the fridge. Just warm it up slowly before you add your shrimp.