Chef John's Spicy Shrimp Ragu

Ingredients 0/14

Step 1

Tos the shrimp shells into a saucepan with a bay leaf and a pinch of smoked paprika. Cook them over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the shells turn a nice pink color—this should take about 5 minutes. Then, add some water, bring it to a gentle simmer, lower the heat, and let it cook for about 20 to 25 minutes to make a flavorful shrimp stock.

Step 2

While that’s simmering, mix together lemon juice, ketchup, brown sugar, ground chipotle pepper, half a teaspoon of smoked paprika, garlic, a pinch of salt, and a little cayenne pepper in a bowl. Once the stock is ready, strain it to remove the shells and bay leaf, then whisk the shrimp stock into your ketchup mixture and set it aside.

Step 3

Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat until you see a few wisps of smoke. Add the shrimp and cook them without moving for about 3 minutes, so the bottoms get nicely seared and browned. Pour in the shrimp stock mixture and cook until the shrimp turn opaque, which should take another 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a bowl, leaving the sauce behind in the skillet.

Step 4

Turn up the heat to bring the sauce to a boil, then let it cook down and thicken for 3 to 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in some cold butter, letting the warmth of the sauce melt it in. Keep stirring until the butter is fully blended and the sauce is silky and slightly thickened.

Step 5

Finally, toss the shrimp back into the sauce, sprinkle with fresh chives, and give everything a good mix. Serve it up warm, spooning plenty of that tasty sauce over the shrimp.