Drunken Shrimp with Tequila: Recipe Review

I was excited to try this Milk Street recipe because it promised to be a fuss-free way to use up some shrimp I had in my freezer. I had nearly all the ingredients in my pantry or fridge, and the technique used to braise the shrimp is pretty straightforward. All good things.

But perhaps that simplicity should have served as a warning, because this dish simply lacks depth of flavor. It’s DULL. I could not taste the tequila (which is bafflingly watered down), I could not taste the red pepper, I could not taste the garlic (6 cloves!). I tasted shrimp. I tasted salt. And that’s about it.

Extremely confused by the paltry amount of lime you’re instructed to use to marinate the shrimp. Surprise!–I could not taste it…at all.

I was extremely skeptical about the addition of the sliced onion and cucumber, which are not even treated to a quick pickle, and I was right to be skeptical, as they add nothing to the dish.

A squeeze of lime at the end would make this dish passable, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, and I certainly won’t make it again. A rare Milk Street miss. Bleh.