55 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I'm making this recipe tonight for the first time. I have all of the ingredients and everything ready to roll.



I'll serve it with some chopped avocado on top and I'll probably make some bread too. I'll snap a pic if I think about it before I eat it!

[Big Nake]

I noticed that the can of diced tomatoes with chiles is on the ingredient list but it's not mentioned during the process. I added it when the pepper, Goya seasoning, Mexican oregano and vegetable stock were added. It was good. It was precariously close to a minestrone with all those veggies and the oregano in there but the spice from the jollies and tomatoes w/chiles set it apart as did the shrimp. I served it with some shredded monterrey jack (appropriate?) and one of the nicest avocadoes (diced up) that I have seen in awhile. Overall... pretty good.

[AspenLeif]

Might make this this weekend. 

[Big Nake]

I have leftovers and I'll probably have some for lunch tomorrow. I'm toying with the idea of making a roux (as I do with my tortilla soup recipe... also here in the cookbook) with some butter and masa harina. I'm always thinking that the broth could use some thickening and a roux made this way is really righteous. I would make a small amount of the roux and add it to the pot as the soup is warming up. I don't want this soup to be too close to the other one but you just can't argue with the flavor and texture that the roux brings to the soup.

Might make this this weekend.

If you try it, let me know how it comes out.

[Big Nake]

Some random thoughts: I made some of this for lunch and made a small amount of roux with butter and masa harina. It improved it but I don't know that it's necessary. I think I am disliking the carrots, celery and oregano in this because it's making it more of a minestrone than a Mexican soup (to me). My wife and I spent part of our honeymoon in Zihuatanejo where there was this great little sidewalk café called Jorge's. He had some of the most simple and delicious food I have ever had. His shrimp soup had a robust reddish-brownish broth that was not super thin or thick but it had a little more oomph than you might see. It was not overly spicy but it had great flavor. I don't remember there being any veggies in the both at all. The shrimp still had the heads and shells because he probably realized that you get a lot of flavor that way. As with anything else, I will probably find bits and pieces of various recipes that look good and retool it for myself. I just looked at a few recipes and some use potatoes, some use celery and carrots, some use dried chili pods, etc. I want to make is "less vegetable" and more "Mexican". If anyone has played with this before, please post. The chicken tortilla soup that I now make took shape over 15+ years and is an amalgam of a lot of different cooking ideas.

[Big Nake]

I'm going to try this:

Cook the shrimp shells in the oil the same way the original recipe calls for. Add the cup of water called for in the recipe too.
Dry roast some garlic and jalapeno. Rehydrate some Ancho, Morita, Guajullo, etc. type peppers. Saute an onion and then throw the garlic, peppers, onion and jollies into the Ninja and blend it smooth.
Remove the shrimp shells from the pot and add the slurry from the Ninja.
Add some tomato paste.
Add a can of diced tomatoes with chiles or chipotles, etc. There are a lot of varieties of these tomatoes. I might consider zipping that up in the Ninja too.
Add 1 tsp of black pepper and 2 packets of the Goya seasoning (turns out this stuff is MSG, salt and 'flavor'... probably not the best thing to do but I think it may be good for the soup... it's basically Mexican bullioun)
Add vegetable stock & simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the raw, peeled and deveined shrimp and go for another 5 minutes.

I think the broth would be better this way.

[Poptop]

I have leftovers and I'll probably have some for lunch tomorrow. I'm toying with the idea of making a roux (as I do with my tortilla soup recipe... also here in the cookbook) with some butter and masa harina. I'm always thinking that the broth could use some thickening and a roux made this way is really righteous. I would make a small amount of the roux and add it to the pot as the soup is warming up. I don't want this soup to be too close to the other one but you just can't argue with the flavor and texture that the roux brings to the soup.

If you try it, let me know how it comes out.

After reading only the recipe post, I immediately thought this would benefit from a roux or better, a bechemel. Bacon drippings roux thickened with a little heavy whip then added to the soup.

[Big Nake]

After reading only the recipe post, I immediately thought this would benefit from a roux or better, a bechemel. Bacon drippings roux thickened with a little heavy whip then added to the soup.

Yeah, I've been noodling with that a little bit. One key is the tomato paste as a thickener. I only used the 2 T called for in the recipe but a whole can might work too as a way to thicken it. I'll be honest... the masa harina roux I make for my chicken tortilla soup absolutely makes the soup. Not only does it thicken the broth but the flavor from the corn is outstanding. But I want to be careful not to turn this recipe into THAT recipe. So maybe the tomato paste but I could also make a standard roux with plain flour. So many options and I plan to experiment further.

[Chuck d Rochefort]

Mexicans tend to get mad when you call them “shrimp”. Same thing goes for “fat”... Ask Cralos

[AspenLeif]

Bought the shit to make this tomorrow.

[Big Nake]

Bought the shit to make this tomorrow.

Hooray! I ate the leftovers yesterday AND today and it's very good but I want to move the broth in a different direction. Let me know how it comes out.

[AspenLeif]

I didn’t buy medical oregano though, which I’ll probably regret.

[Chuck d Rochefort]

There’s always tomorrow

[AspenLeif]

Lol, nice autocorrect. Mexican oregeno

[Big Nake]

I didn’t buy medical oregano though, which I’ll probably regret.

So you have your Italian, Mexican and also Medical.

Honestly, the Mexican oregano smelled and tasted really good but I don't know that it's CRAZY different than regular oregano.

[Mya]

So you have your Italian, Mexican and also Medical.

Honestly, the Mexican oregano smelled and tasted really good but I don't know that it's CRAZY different than regular oregano.

was it really Mexican Oregano or just oregano with the spanish name on it?

[AspenLeif]

Currently have this simmering away.  Smells ####ing awesome.

 

My changes

-added roux

-rather than sauteeing the shimp shucks, I put them in a grain stock and boiled them for 20min after adding the water

- 2 adobe pepper chopped and 2 tsp of the adobe sauce.

- Used fire roasted tomatoes, rather than the ones with chilies.  

- And rather than using veggie stock, I use this in most of my seafood soups or chowders.  Was on the shelf in Maine, but have to amazon this here.

 

Edited by AspenLeif, 29 October 2017 - 10:48 AM.

[AspenLeif]

Yeah, this turned out really, really good.

[Big Nake]

was it really Mexican Oregano or just oregano with the spanish name on it?

No, really Mexican oregano. My local grocery store is a U.N. of foods... Russian, Polish, Asian and especially Hispanic. They have an entire aisle dedicated to all things Hispanic and the guy I asked was Hispanic and took me right to it.

Yeah, this turned out really, really good.

Glad to hear it. I plan on some changes too and most are in the direction you took.

[AspenLeif]

I also added 2 jalapeños when I sautéed the veggies. It was hot enough to make my head sweat.