Tex-Mex seasonings flavor this shrimp and poblanos favorite 

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From the Winter 2021 issue

In coastal Delaware, you’re not a true local unless you were born here. To be sure, being a “Beebe baby” is a point of pride. Dave Sauers, however, comes close. He and brother Rex were 6 months old when their parents moved from El Paso, Texas, to the Lewes area. 

But while the Cape Henlopen High School graduate has undoubtedly had his share of slippery dumplings, crab and roast chicken, he also knows his way around Tex-Mex flavors. Credit his mother, who is from Mexico.

Sauers’s shrimp bisque with roasted poblanos is a perfect example. The soup is a hit at The Wheelhouse in Lewes, where he is the executive chef. “It’s been selling really well, especially as we get ready for winter,” he says. “It has a really nice hue.” It helps that plump pink shrimp bob on top.

The twins began cooking in fourth grade, after their parents divorced. They wanted to prepare meals that would be ready by the time a parent got home from work. Today, both are in the hospitality industry. In fact, Rex is his sibling’s boss.

Sauers says working at Fusion, a one-time Rehoboth Beach restaurant, opened his eyes to eclectic cuisine. “We had so many different ingredients: kangaroo, ostrich, Chilean sea bass, fermented bean paste.”

But for his soup, he recommends using a chicken stock by Goya that’s available on supermarket shelves. “It’s the best stuff.” You’ll need to roast the peppers first, and there are numerous how-to guides on the internet. 

SHRIMP AND POBLANO BISQUE

(Serves 4 as a meal, 6 as an appetizer)

2  tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1⁄2  cup of onion, chopped

2  teaspoons of garlic, minced

1⁄4  cup of celery, diced

3-4  poblano peppers, seeded and roasted

2  teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce

1  teaspoon of adobo seasoning 

1⁄2  teaspoon of paprika

1⁄2-1  teaspoon of white pepper

2-21⁄2  cups of chicken stock (adjust to  desired thickness)

1  cup of heavy cream

2-3  tablespoons of butter, plus additional for shrimp

1  tablespoon of tomato paste

Salt to taste

1⁄4-1⁄2  teaspoon of cayenne pepper 

(optional)

2-3  pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined

1⁄2  cup of clam juice

STEP 1 Add olive oil to a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion, garlic, celery and roasted poblano peppers. Cook for about four to five minutes.

STEP 2 Stir in the Worcestershire, adobo, paprika and white pepper. Cook for about a minute.

STEP 3 Add the chicken stock. Simmer for eight to 10 minutes.

STEP 4 Add the cream and butter and cook until the butter melts. Remove from the stove. Stir in the tomato paste.

STEP 5 Puree the mix in a blender in batches to prevent pressure from building. (Hold the lid down tightly.) Or use a stick blender and mix in the pot. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

STEP 6 Place another saucepan over medium-high heat. Add about a tablespoon of butter and saute the shrimp. Lightly season with adobo. Cook for up to six minutes or until shrimp are cooked through. Remove the shrimp.

STEP 7 Deglaze the pan with clam juice and add the bits and liquid to the blended soup.

STEP 8 Pour the soup into bowls and divide up the shrimp. Garnish with scallions or microgreens.