Shrimp in Red Pipián

Camarones en Pipián Rojo

Serves 6 to 8 Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour Pipián sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated

Pipián is one variety of Mexico’s many mole sauces. A hefty base of toasted and ground pumpkin seeds gives the sauce a velvety edge. This red pipián, from the southern states of Mexico, combines pumpkin seeds with peanuts and sesame seeds and then adds a rich layer of charred tomatoes, garlic, and onion along with cloves, cinnamon, and dried mild chiles. The nutty richness is the perfect foil for the briny shrimp.

Serve with Blissful Corn Torte, My Favorite Green Rice, or plain white rice.

If you buy shrimp without shells, you can substitute clam juice or water for the shrimp broth.

• 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved (see headnote)
• 2½ teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
• 6 guajillo chiles (about 2 ounces), rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
• 2 ancho chiles (about 1 ounce), rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
• ½ cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, left whole
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 thick slice white onion
• ½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Place the shrimp shells in a large pot, cover generously with water, add ½ teaspoon of the salt, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 20 minutes. Strain the broth; discard the shells.
2. Heat a comal or a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat until hot. Lay the chiles flat in the pan and toast them for 10 to 15 seconds per side, until they become fragrant and pliable and their color darkens.
3. Transfer the toasted chiles to a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes. Set aside.
4. Toast the pumpkin seeds in the comal or skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until you hear popping sounds, like popcorn, and they begin to brown lightly, 3 to 4 minutes; take care not to burn them. Set aside. Add the sesame seeds and toast until light brown, 2 to 3 minutes; set aside. Toast the cloves, stirring often, until they turn darker and are fragrant, 30 to 40 seconds. Set aside.
5. Char the tomatoes, garlic, and onion under the broiler, on the hot comal, in a dry skillet, or on an outdoor grill at medium heat (see the sidebar), turning occasionally, until nicely charred and softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat.
6. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, peel it and place in a blender or food processor along with the tomatoes, onions, and the chiles, with 1 cup of their cooking liquid. Add the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cloves, peanuts, cinnamon, the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, brown sugar, and vinegar and puree until smooth.
7. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the puree and 4 cups of the shrimp broth and simmer, partially covered, for about 45 minutes, stirring often so the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom, until thickened and deepened in color.
8. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the shrimp, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn off the heat. Let the shrimp finish cooking in the sauce, about 5 more minutes, then serve.