Seared Shrimp With Kare-Kare Butter

Every Filipinx family has their own take on kare-kare, but they generally include peanut butter, achiote (annatto) seed, and often a fermented shrimp paste called bagoong for extra flavor in the stew. Old-school Filipinx cooks make the sauce for it from scratch, but you can find powdered or jarred versions, the best of which is Fila Manila Kare-Kare. It’s the star of this dish, where it cooks down with garlic, thyme, chicken broth, butter, lemon juice, and hot sauce into a glossy sauce for seared shrimp. This peanut-y sauce is perfect with virtually any shellfish—try it with head-on prawns or lobster if you want to go all in. —Harold Villarosa