Shrimp Tacos
Unbeknownst to me, today was National Taco Day, and we had agreed on making shrimp tacos for dinner. I love accidental celebrations, especially when they involve food! I love that this holiday occurs in October, right when I’m teetering the line between trying to relive everything great about summer and welcoming fall fare.
Guacamole is one of those things that you need less a recipe and more a list of ingredients to prepare. Sometimes people add chilies, onion and tomatoes to flavor their guacamole, but to me, especially with seafood, it’s all about the creaminess of the avocado. Recipes for guacamole with sour cream, mayonnaise or even whipping cream are just an unnecessary addition of calories in my opinion. Unless you’re making a stand alone avocado cream in some restaurant kitchen, I’d rather appreciate a chunky avocado salsa punched up with lime juice and coriander.
The smaller (and cheaper!) frozen shrimp are perfect for this. Just thaw them quickly in a bowl in your sink with cold running water and peel away the shells (which are perfect for a quick broth). Fresh herbs and citrus are universal accompaniments to any seafood, and shrimp is no different, which makes it ideal for a refreshing taco. You can use your favorite chili powder instead of the hot paprika, but I like the cleaner flavor of just paprika and black pepper, rather than cumin and more herbal notes. Sure, this is a simple taco, but it’s simply delicious. But really, what taco isn’t?
Guacamole
- 3 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, crushed
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/2 cup coriander, roughly chopped
- Tobasco, as desired
- salt and black pepper
- Mash together the avocado with garlic, lime juice, coriander and season to taste with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Add a few dash of Tobasco, as desired.
Shrimp
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika
- salt and pepper
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with hot paprika and a generous amount of salt and black pepper.
- When the oil just begins to smoke, add the shrimp and fry until firm and opaque, about 2-3 minutes.
Assembly
- 12 6″ flour or corn tortillas
- 2 limes, quartered
- 1/2 cup coriander, roughly chopped
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a sheet pan inside. Use this to warm the tortillas to make them soft and pliable.
- Place the guacamole and shrimp in a separate bowls with lime wedges, some chopped coriander and Tobasco, then unleash your eaters. Making the tacos yourself is simply part of the fun!