Savor the Zesty Chipotle Orange Shrimp Paired with Fragrant Cilantro Rice

Let’s make a delicious dish of Chipotle Orange Shrimp with Cilantro Rice! This recipe combines succulent shrimp in a sweet and smoky cream sauce, served over rice speckled with fresh cilantro, and a side of tangy cucumbers. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients:

For the Chipotle Orange Sauce:

• 1 chipotle pepper (use half if you prefer less spice)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Zest of one orange

For the Shrimp and Rice:

• A drizzle of olive oil
• 1 pound uncooked shrimp, tails removed and patted dry
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 cups white rice (jasmine or long grain rice work great)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

For the Cucumbers:

• 2 small cucumbers (or one large), thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Start with the cucumbers: Mix all the cucumber ingredients together and set aside.
2. For the sauce: Blend all the sauce ingredients together until mostly smooth, but be careful not to overblend. We want the garlic and chipotle mostly smoothed out so they can incorporate into the sauce.
3. Cook the rice as per the package instructions. Once done, stir in the cilantro and salt to taste. You can also add lime juice or the juice of the zested orange for some extra citrus flavor.
4. Now, let’s cook the shrimp: Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté for 2 minutes on each side, sprinkling with the cumin, plus some salt and pepper.
5. Finally, add the sauce to the shrimp and let it simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Serve the shrimp over the rice, with the tangy cucumbers on the side.

Tips:

• Be careful not to overblend the sauce as the heavy cream can start to whip. If this happens, don’t worry, it’ll loosen up once it warms up in the pan.
• Make sure your shrimp is not watery. If you’re using frozen shrimp, thaw it fully and pat dry before cooking. If there’s moisture in the pan before adding the sauce, drain it out. For a little extra sweetness, you can add a pinch of sugar to the shrimp, or squeeze in the juice of the orange.

Enjoy your meal!