Salsa Macha Shrimp Scampi
Cacao nibs in a scampi? The fruity bitterness of nibs turn this classic on its head.
Am I the only one who always wants to douse nearly everything I eat in hot sauce and lemon juice? I’ve accepted this about myself, and this recipe for my type of shrimp scampi is exactly what you need if you’d rather be eating ceviche but it’s winter, and you want something that feels rich and bright–at the same time.
The way I see it, shrimp scampi is a blank canvas perfect for a Vallarta-style salsa macha, which stands out from the rest of Mexico’s machas because it is made with cacao nibs. In my family’s old restaurant, it was served alongside butterflied pescado zarandeado. The nibs lend texture and bitter –but fruity– notes to the dried chiles and nuts. If you have nibs laying around because you are a cacao-obsessed person like me, then this recipe is just the one to make. But you also don’t need to buy nibs just for this recipe. You will be okay without the nibs. However, you can justify it by at least doubling the salsa macha recipe, which keeps beautifully in your fridge sealed in a glass jar for months and it’s perfect when drizzled on fish, roasted vegetables, quesadillas, and pizza. Trust. Just make sure to bring it to room temperature first for maximum texture.
The beauty of salsa macha is that you can make it as spicy as you want by using a combo of morita, ancho, and even árbol if you’re into professional levels of heat. Do you want to sub peanuts for almonds? That’s also a great idea. I usually add a few drops of apple cider vinegar to salsa macha, but the acidity of the wine and the fresh lemon juice in the scampi do the trick. Whatever you do, just don’t shy away from the olive oil. You need it to whirl into a fine grind in the food processor, and it nearly replaces all of the butter that makes the luxurious sauce in a classic scampi.
When you add salsa macha to the butter and then hit it with white wine, the sauce starts foaming and bubbling, thickening as it reduces. Cook the shrimp until they just start to turn pink, and don’t let them get too firm. Serve on a big plate, spooning the salsa macha bits all over the shrimp and soaking the sauce with crusty bread or rice on the side. Remember? It’s the dead of winter after all.
This week’s recipe playlist it’s a combo of The White Lotus soundtrack and the electro cumbias you had no idea went together, listen for yourself here.