Prawns in adobo sauce

From Just Tacos by Shelley Wiseman

Recipe : Prawns in adobo sauce
For this recipe I had to buy ancho chilies, which I was informed means any large fresh chili 'ancho' actually meaning wide. I bought green poblanos although the recipe stated the sauce would be red. I was told it depends on what chilies are available. I also bought Mexican oregano, which is apparently a different herb to the regular kind.

5 large garlic cloves, 4 unpeeled and 1 peeled

4 large ancho chilies, cut open and seeded

1/2 tsp cumin seed

5 peppercorns

1 clove

1/2 cup water

1 tsp cider vinegar

1/4 tsp dried Mexican oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

If I was to make this again I would decrease the amount of water to 1/4 cup as the marinade was a little too wet to actually stick to the prawns.

Toast the unpeeled garlic in a heavy frying pan until slightly softened and brown, about 8 minutes.

Then, toast the chilies in the same way until they are fragrant and brighter in colour, about 1 minute. Place the chilies in a large bowl of water to soften for 20 minutes and peel the garlic.

Toast the cumin, peppercorns and clove in a dry pan until fragrant, about 1 minute also.

Place all the toasted ingredients as well as everything else into a blender and blend to a smooth sauce. 

Add about 1 lb of raw, peeled prawns to about 1/3 cup of the adobo and let marinade, covered and chilled, for a minimum of two hours. To cook, the recipe stated skewering and barbecuing the shrimp, although I fried for convenience sake. Serve with warmed tortillas, mango - habanero salsa and lime wedges to squeeze over.

The adobo sauce can be used for all manner of things, such as marinading or basting chicken or pork or drizzling over the tacos as a salsa.