Spot Prawn and Raja Enchiladas with Buttermilk Sauce

🧂 Ingredients

• 3 medium poblano peppers
• 450 g spot prawn tails

  18/20 count, peeled, shells/tails reserved
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup Mexican crema

  (see note)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• pinch nutmeg
• 1 tsp sea salt

  or to taste
• 1 large tomatillo

  (about 80 g or 1/2 cup) diced
• 8 corn tortillas
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

  (divided into 1/2 and 1-1/2 tbsp portions)

Instructions

• 1 Roast the poblano peppers under a broiler, over a gas flame, or on an outdoor
  grill (the latter is my personal favorite way to do this). Turn the peppers
  occasionally until the skins are blackened all over. Place the roasted peppers
  in a large bowl and cover tightly (a fitted lid or plastic wrap works well). Set
  aside for at least 20 minutes, and up to several hours.
• 2 Heat a medium saucepan over medium and add 1/2 tbsp of the butter. Add the
  shrimp shells and tails (DO NOT add the shrimp itself), garlic, and a pinch of
  the salt. Saute gently until the shells are crisp and bright reddish-pink and
  the garlic is fragrant; about 3 minutes. Add approximately 1.5 cups of water to
  the pan, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow the broth to simmer for
  20-25 minutes. Strain the mixture and set the broth aside.
• 3 Combine the Mexican crema and buttermilk on the stovetop in a medium-sized pot.
  Heat gently, but do NOT bring to a boil/simmer (the cream will curdle and
  split). Add the nutmeg, and bay leaves, then add 1 cup of the shrimp stock and
  the remaining salt. Adjust the salt to taste. Once the mixture is heated-through
  (again, not simmering), keep it warm on the lowest stovetop setting you have.
• 4 While the sauce is heating (and while the shrimp are cooking if you're
  particularly good at multi-tasking), heat a heavy, dry cast iron pan or comal
  over medium heat. Add the tortillas and toast them for about 30 seconds to 1
  minute per side. They should brown or blister a little bit, and become pliable.
  You can do one tortilla at a time, but if you fit more of them into the pan
  without overlapping them, feel free to do several at once.
• 5 Melt the remaining butter (1.5 tbsp) in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add
  the diced tomatillo to the pan and saute for 30 seconds. Add the spot prawns and
  cook evenly until just done - about 3-4 minutes. Make sure to turn the shrimp to
  cook both sides evenly, and remember that you want the center to be just past
  that translucent/raw stage.
• 6 Peel, seed, and slice the poblano peppers into long strips. Dunk a corn tortilla
  in the buttermilk sauce, then lay it flat on a plate. Fill with a few prawns,
  some tomatillo, and a few poblano strips. Spoon a tablespoon of sauce over the
  mixture and fold the tortilla over (because spot prawns are fairly large, you
  probably don't want to roll these enchiladas - a simple fold-over will do).
  Spoon some more sauce over the closed enchilada. Repeat with the remaining
  tortillas and fillings, and serve immediately.

Nutrition Info