Shrimp Mozambique

If you love spicy shellfish, you’re in for a treat with this shrimp Mozambique recipe. This Afro-Portuguese classic is made by cooking the shrimp in a bold sauce, and can be used to kick off a meal or served as the entree.

Despite its sauciness, think of this dish as finger food. You simmer shell-on shrimp over low heat to infuse the sauce with briny flavor. The effect is even more noticeable when you suck off the sauce, peel the shrimp, eat the meat and lick your fingers clean. It might be messy, but you can’t beat the flavor.

What is shrimp Mozambique?

The Portuguese who colonized Mozambique in Southern Africa brought lively spices back home, where they became the backbone of shrimp Mozambique.

Garlic and lots of seasonings bring flavor to the party—particularly sazon, a seasoning blend that includes garlic, cumin and coriander—plus vibrant annatto (the same additive that makes cheddar cheese orange). Those who could afford it might color the dish with saffron instead, and those after a more fiery dish would include peri peri, an African bird’s eye chile often on par with habanero peppers in terms of spice. Light beer adds another layer to the traditional dish. However, some Portuguese-American versions opt for dry white wine, chicken broth or shrimp stock instead.

Serve the savory shrimp as an appetizer or main course, with crusty bread or white rice to soak up the sauce.

Shrimp Mozambique Ingredients

• Olive oil: You need fat to cook down the aromatics and seasonings.
• Onion and garlic: Cook down yellow or white onion to render it sweet. Fresh minced garlic acts as the first layer of garlicky flavor.
• Shrimp: The shrimp in this recipe cook for a long time, so be sure to use uncooked jumbo shell-on shrimp (16-20 per pound). Precooked or smaller shrimp would cook through too quickly and become rubbery and tough. Shrimp shells don’t break down when heated, but release a lot of flavor. They insulate the meat from the heat so that it cooks slowly and stays juicy.
• Sazon with coriander and annatto: Two sazon envelopes hold 10 grams of seasoning (about 1/3 ounce). Many brands rely heavily on salt and monosodium glutamate (aka MSG) to impart the seasoning’s traditional umami. Organic sazon blends often avoid MSG; some are salt-free or extra hot.
• Other seasonings: Even with fresh onion and garlic already in the pan, this shrimp Mozambique recipe calls for granulated garlic salt, garlic powder and onion powder to pile on more of those flavors. Paprika provides a mild spiciness and color boost, and a bay leaf imparts a sweet herbal note as it simmers in the hot sauce.
• Beer or chicken broth: Use a mild, light beer for the sauce. A hoppy, bitter beer—like an IPA or even a pale ale—would turn the sauce bitter, too. Crisp lagers are popular in Portugal, and an American or nonalcoholic lager would mimic the dish’s authentic flavor. Substitute chicken broth in a pinch.
• Lemon juice: A splash of lemon juice enhances the beer’s flavor. Bottled or fresh lemon juice works, but fresh gives extra zing. Set aside additional lemon to squeeze over each serving, if you wish.
• Ketchup: The Portuguese eat a surprising amount of ketchup, and it’s become a popular, ready-made way to mellow and sweeten shrimp Mozambique recipes. It also thickens the sauce slightly once the shrimp turn pink.
• Parsley: Fresh green parsley contrasts the red sauce and pink shrimp and adds peppery herbal notes to the finished dish. Stir it in at the end so that it holds its color.
• Rice: Steamed white rice soaks up the rich Mozambique sauce. Serve the dish in wide bowls so you can alternate spoonfuls of rice with bites of the peel-and-eat shrimp.

Directions

Step 1: Saute the onion

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In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook and stir it until tender, four to five minutes.

Step 2: Add the shrimp and seasonings

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Add the minced garlic and shell-on shrimp, and cook for one minute longer.

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Stir in the sazon, garlic salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and bay leaf.

Editor’s Tip: The shrimp continue to cook once you add the liquid (far longer than we often recommend), so cook them no more than one minute here with the garlic. To keep the process moving swiftly, have all the seasonings measured or combined so it takes just seconds to stir them in and add the liquid.

Step 3: Cook down the sauce

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Add the beer and lemon juice, and bring them to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the shrimp turn pink, 10-15 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Watch the shrimp more closely than the clock. As soon as the shrimp turn pink and begin to curl, remove them from the heat. This is especially important if you substitute smaller shrimp that cook more quickly.

Step 4: Finish the sauce

Stir in the ketchup and parsley, and discard the bay leaf. Serve with hot cooked rice.

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Shrimp Mozambique Variations

• Use other seafood or chicken: Mozambique sauce is usually cooked with shrimp, but shellfish like clams and scallops or a flaky white fish like haddock pick up its flavors, too. White chicken meat is another popular choice with or as a replacement for shrimp. Cooking times will vary with other meats, so reduce the sauce first and cook the meat separately or use an instant-read thermometer to ensure a safe internal temperature.
• Reduce the salt: For a less salty dish, replace the garlic salt with garlic granules or powder and look for no-salt sazon. People often describe the taste of MSG as salty, even though it gives food an umami taste. To avoid it, use an MSG-free sazon blend.
• Make it hotter: Add heat with a dash of peri peri sauce, a spoonful of spicy Sriracha substitute, or a pinch of fiery habanero pepper. For smoky tones, use smoked paprika and roast any additional chiles. If the sauce tastes too sweet, add hot sauce to taste.

How to Store Shrimp Mozambique

Keep shrimp Mozambique in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The shrimp will be more rubbery when reheated, so you may choose to avoid leftovers. If you have extra, store the shrimp and sauce together or pick out the shrimp and store it separately for more flexibility when you reheat the sauce. Store the rice separately from the shrimp and sauce so it doesn’t become gummy.

How long does shrimp Mozambique last?

Shrimp Mozambique lasts three to four days in a refrigerated airtight container. Rice lasts about the same amount of time, but store it separately as it can harbor harmful bacteria.

How do you reheat shrimp Mozambique?

Reheat shrimp Mozambique in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-low heat. If you stored the sauce and shrimp separately, bring only the sauce to a simmer, and then add the shrimp and heat them just until warmed through. Keep a close eye on the shrimp to ensure they don’t overcook and become tough.

Shrimp Mozambique Tips

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Do you need to devein shrimp for shrimp Mozambique?

You don’t have to devein shrimp for shrimp Mozambique—and because you clean the shrimp at the table, it’s nearly impossible to do so ahead of time. The dark vein along the back of the shrimp can be cooked and safely eaten. It might be prominent on jumbo shrimp once you peel off the shell, so if it distracts you from the meal, pinch the vein’s end between your fingertips and pull it out before you eat the shrimp.

What else can you serve with shrimp Mozambique?

Portuguese families often serve shrimp Mozambique with crusty bread, like sourdough French bread. Pair these with a fresh green salad packed with summer vegetables or a simple tomato onion salad. Make a hearty chickpea salad the main course when serving shrimp Mozambique as a starter. Alternatively, follow the shrimp with a light fish dish, such as cod and asparagus bake or something like sheet-pan chicken and veggies. To stick with the handheld theme, serve shrimp Mozambique at the same time as beef empanadas alongside a colorful crudites platter.