VGL Cookbook - Shrimp Asopao

Asopao (ah-sew-pow) is a delicious Puerto Rican dish...it can be made with chicken or shrimp or whatever, but my favorite is with shrimp!  Other Caribbean islands may make it, but I've only had the Puerto Rican version - which to me is the only version!  Not quite a soup, not quite a stew but somewhere inbetween....and oh so good!

This recipe easily feeds 6-8 people and is a one pot meal - even more attractive!
Be sure to have the all the ingredients before you start - like the Sofrito! (enter sofrito under "Search My Blog" to get the recipe!)

18-24 shrimp (no tails, cleaned.  I used frozen shrimp from our fish market, defrosted)
(lightly season shrimp with a little salt and pepper)
(use 5-6 of the shrimp and cut into small pieces to use in step #1)
Have a pot of water simmering with 2+ quarts of water

Step # 1
*1/2 Green Pepper - diced into small bits
*1 onion - diced into small bits
*3 good sized garlic cloves (minced; I used a garlic press)
*3 Tablespoons (approx) of olive oil
*1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
*1 heaping Tablespoon of chopped parsley (I buy a bunch, chop it and freeze it; makes life easy)
* the cut up shrimp (goes in last, after onions have cooked down)
          In your stock pot, add the oil and the green pepper, onion, minced garlic, pepper and parsely.
Under low heat toss frequently to prevent burning; when onions are translucent, add the chopped shrimp.  Cook a minute or two or three...

NOW:
Step # 2
**15 oz can tomato sauce
**2 1/2 cups uncooked rice
**2+ quarts of water in a separate pot, simmering (you'll use this in rations)
**15 oz can of seafood stock
**1 heaping Tablespoon of salt
**4 oz jar of diced pimientos
**1/3 - 1/2 cup frozen peas
**2 cubes of sofrito (frozen or defrosted)
** 1 heaping Tablespoon of capers (try not to use any of the liquid)
**Remaining whole shrimp (they go in at the end when the rice is just about cooked)
          To the green pepper & onion mixture add the tomato sauce, stir well, add the rice and stir.
Add 2 quarts of warm water (I dipped my Pyrex measuring cup into the warm water)
Add the salt, the pimientos, frozen peas, capers and the sofrito (I dropped my in frozen)
Keep stirring and stirring - rice will want to settle down and possibly stick.  Keep it movin'!
About 10 minutes into the cooking, stir in the seafood stock. Taste it...it should smell very good and taste like it's going to be a great meal!
Now the rice has been cooking about 20 minutes - add the rest of the shrimp and cook another 5-8 minutes or so until the rice is tender and looks like it has doubled in size and shrimp are cooked.

Serve in large bowls and enjoy! Oh-my-goodness -or- Ay Dios mio!