This stewy, spicy Moroccan shrimp dish is deeply rich and flavorful but astoundingly simple to make. The recipe is based on the version of crevettes pil pil that home cook Houda Mehdi demonstrated in her kitchen in Fes, Morocco. All of the elements-the warm spices, sweet-tart tomatoes, citrusy lemon and herbal cilantro-together are a delicious match for briny-sweet shrimp.
For those of you who might be a little more adventurous, here's a dish I made last week, based off a Milk Street recipe. It's a dish described as "deeply rich" and "astoundingly simple". J.M. Hirsch, Editorial Director at Christopher Kimball's Milk Street, joined us to share the Moroccan Harissa-Garlic Shrimp recipe from the March/April edition of Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Magazine.
This Harissa Shrimp is a quick dinner that’s bursting with smoky, zesty, exotic flavors. It’s easy enough to go in your regular rotation, but unique and special enough to impress guests with. The next time you’re looking for a culinary journey, take your taste buds to the lands of North Africa…
Recently, we have really been getting into the harissa craze. We just can’t get enough of that bold, unique flavor. Put this super flavorful harissa shrimp skillet on your menu for the upcoming week. It’s so easy, yet the flavors are out of this world delicious. It has definitely become one of our favorite harissa recipes.
🍤 HARISSA Shrimp | Smothered in a NORTH AFRICAN Chilli Sauce | Kravings
What is Harissa?
If you’re scratching your head and wondering what harissa is, hi there! You must be new here. Harissa is a hot chili paste native to the Maghreb region in Northern Africa-think Morocco, Algeria, Libya, etc. It’s made up of roasted red peppers, Baklouti peppers, and warm spices such as cumin, coriander, and caraway, as well as citrus, garlic, and olive oil.
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While there are tons of variations in harissa paste in terms of flavor and heat level, think of it as a warmly spiced chili paste with loads of flavor and a touch of acidity. Most harissa pastes are not overly spicy, but it can vary from brand to brand.
Harissa paste, a North African condiment made with chili and spices like cumin and coriander, can be radically different depending on the brand, the ingredients and where it comes from. Some are almost pure chili (lots of heat), some extremely mild, containing ingredients like sundried tomatoes or roasted red peppers for body and sweetness.
Ingredients for Moroccan Harissa Garlic Shrimp
Here's what you'll need to create this flavorful dish:
- 1 ½ pounds extra-large shrimp (21/25 per pound), peeled (tails removed), deveined and patted dry
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 8 ounces (2 medium) ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- Cherry tomatoes and tomato paste
- Honey
- Onions
- Parsley
Substitute Ingredient: If you don't want to bother with harissa, you could sub in cayenne, red pepper flakes, sriracha.
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
Follow these steps to create your own Moroccan Harissa Garlic Shrimp:
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Step 1: Prepare the Shrimp
In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with ½ teaspoon salt. Let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes. We find that salting the shrimp and letting them stand for about 15 minutes allows the seasoning to penetrate, so don’t bypass this step.
Step 2: Sauté Aromatics
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and harissa; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the paprika, cumin, coriander and turmeric, then cook, stirring, until the mixture is darkened and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 3: Cook the Shrimp
Reduce to low and stir in the tomatoes and shrimp. Distribute the mixture in an even layer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp begin to curl and turn opaque on the exteriors, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered, until the shrimp are opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. Don’t leave the heat on medium after adding the tomatoes and shrimp. Be sure to turn the burner down to low so the shrimp cook gently, and once they begin to turn opaque, remove the skillet from the heat. The shrimp will finish cooking with the residual heat trapped in the covered pan.
Step 4: Finish and Season
Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice, then taste and season with salt and pepper.
Note: The amount of olive oil-½ cup-may seem excessive, but that much is needed to gently oil-poach the shrimp, leaving them plump, tender and full of flavor.
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Serving Suggestions
Serve with warm flatbread for soaking up the sauce. We love it with some nice bread, like our No Knead Bread. It’s also great over white rice, or Moroccan couscous. We can see it going well tossed in pasta, or over a pile of grits. Hmm, harissa shrimp and grits. That sounds like a potential upcoming post…
It would go well with couscous or rice. Serve it with a crusty baguette to tear and sop up the sauce, some quick-dressed peppery arugula, and a cold white wine.
Great in tacos, over rice, or as an appetizer with crusty French bread.
This spicy harissa shrimp is nothing short of delicious. Meaty shrimp cooked in a ton of garlic, harissa, and herbs, this shrimp dish is served over creamy polenta to soak up all the sauce.
I have several shrimp dishes that are meant to stand alone, such as Calabrian Shrimp, Green Garlic Shrimp, and Portuguese Garlic Shrimp. They are designed to be the star of the show and are usually paired with crusty bread. So, for my next shrimp dish, this one, I decided to mix things up and pair it with a suitable carb to make it a full meal.
Serving Size: 4-6
Tips and Tricks
- Storage: Store harissa shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Reheating: When ready to reheat, place them back into a pan over low heat with the lid on. When reheating, you may wish to add in a little extra water. This can also be frozen in an airtight container. Use within two months for best quality.
Variations
Like most of you, I'm sure, the dish that comes to mind is scampi. For those of you who might be a little more adventurous, here's a dish I made last week, based off a Milk Street recipe.
Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Ingredients:
- Shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- Olive oil
- Red pepper
- Thyme
- White wine
- Lemon juice
- Butter
- Water
- Salt
- Parsley
- Breadcrumbs (optional)
Instructions:
- Combine the shallots, 4 cloves garlic and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a mini food processor. Process to make a smooth paste.
- Pour 4 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining garlic and red pepper into a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Then add the shrimp and the thyme. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the shrimp are seared but not fully cooked, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Return the thyme to the skillet and pour in the white wine, lemon juice, the remaining 3/4 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup water.
- When the sauce has reduced, whisk in the remaining butter and return the shrimp to the pan. Stir in the parsley. If the sauce still seems too thin, stir in the breadcrumbs and bring to a boil just to thicken. Serve immediately.
Note: Creating the paste is what I think elevates this recipe. My first time it came out a little too wet at the end, that's why she suggests breadcrumbs.
Video tutorial
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tags: #Moroccan
