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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Moroccan Harissa-Garlic Shrimp (Crevettes Pil Pil)

4 to 6 Servings

30 minutes

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This stewy, spicy Moroccan shrimp dish is deeply rich and flavorful but astoundingly simple to make. The recipe is based on the version of crevettes pil pil that home cook Houda Mehdi demonstrated for us in her kitchen in Fes, Morocco. All of the elements—the warm spices, sweet-tart tomatoes, citrusy lemon and herbal cilantro—together are a delicious match for briny-sweet shrimp. The amount of olive oil—½ cup—may seem excessive, but that much is needed to gently oil-poach the shrimp, leaving them plump, tender and full of flavor. We find that salting the shrimp and letting them stand for about 15 minutes allows the seasoning to penetrate, so don’t bypass this step. Serve with warm flatbread for soaking up the sauce.

4 to 6

Servings

Tip

Don’t leave the heat on medium after adding the tomatoes and shrimp. Be sure to turn the burner down to low so the shrimp cook gently, and once they begin to turn opaque, remove the skillet from the heat. The shrimp will finish cooking with the residual heat trapped in the covered pan.

30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½

    pounds extra-large shrimp (21/25 per pound), peeled (tails removed), deveined and patted dry

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Reviews
Margie S.
April 29, 2025
Harissa powder?
I don’t have harissa paste. Can I sub harissa powder instead? Maybe mix it with butter to make a paste.
Raymond H.
January 25, 2025
💯 Keeper
We have great gulf shrimp at our fish monger, never frozen. Every time I go in I will now think about buying a few pounds just to make this dish - an absolute 💯 keeper, everyone loved it
Tammy H.
March 18, 2024
DELICIOUS!!!
This was the most delicious shrimp EVER!!! I am going to make it again this week. I added an extra teaspoon of Harissa and it was amazing. Thank you Milk Street! Your recipes are amazing. Tammy
Jennifer B.
March 13, 2024
Fabulous
Loved the combination of flavors, I didn't change a thing, absolutely delicious
David S.
July 17, 2022
Harissa Shrip
Easy, flavorful and healthy. Cut back on the garlic since there was already ample seasoning. Used A mild harissa paste which suited my family well. A winner.
Michael F.

This recipe was great. I made it as written. Another winner! You guys are the BEST!


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