Tacos de Camarone (“Shrimp Tacos”)

Taco Tuesday

By Kipp Rix

For this month’s recipe, we will visit the flavors of Baja, Mexico. Most people associate fish tacos with Baja, and rightly so. I’ll share my fish taco recipe in a couple of months; but the fact is, with the abundance of fresh seafood coming from the coastal areas around Baja, street vendors have utilized most, if not all, of the ocean’s bounty to make excellent street tacos.

If you search on this site for “Ceviche” you will find one of my cooking shows where I will show you how to prepare Ceviche (fish and shrimp cooked in citrus juices) that also makes an excellent Baja-style street taco. These tacos are best if you take the time to make your own taco shells, but as mentioned in last month’s recipe, all these taco recipes can be served using store prepared commercial taco shells.

Next month, I’ll feature my Fire House Tacos; these are authentic style ground beef street tacos, my favorite style of taco. Like many things in the fire service, sticking with the basics is typically the one way you can go and seldom go wrong or be disappointed. Eat good and be happy!

 

Ingredients

60 medium prawns, peeled and deveined

1 thin sliced sweet onion

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 tablespoons olive oil divided

12 corn tortillas

Oil for frying

Seasoned salt

Diced tomatoes

Sliced avocado

Cilantro leafs

Sliced limes

 

Cooking Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and paprika.
  2. Add the shrimp and stir to coat the shrimp evenly; set the shrimp aside in the refrigerator and allow the shrimp to rest for 2-6 hours.
  3. In a large fry pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
  4. Add the sliced onion and cook until soft and starting to caramelize.
  5. Add the shrimp and continue to cook until the shrimp is cooked through; remove the pan from the heat, cover, and allow to rest while you prepare the taco shells.
  6. In a medium-size fry pan, add enough vegetable oil to make ¼ inch; heat over medium-high heat and fry one tortilla at a time, folding in half once soft. Fry to your desired crispness, flipping once; I personally like soft fried shells. Place each shell on a paper towel to drain and lightly sprinkle with the seasoned salt.
  7. Place 5 shrimp and some of the onion into each taco shell, add diced tomato, a few cilantro leaves, and grated cheese.
  8. Squeeze some lime into the shrimp; serve with Spanish rice, sliced avocado, and salsa on the side.

Enjoy!

 

Firefighter and Fire House chef Kipp Rix has been in the fire service for 21 years working as both a volunteer with San Juan County, NM, and a career firefighter with Farmington Fire, NM. Kipp’s journey into the world of cooking started at an early age inspired by Graham Kerr (the Galloping Gourmet) and Julia Child. Currently Kipp’s style of cooking specializes in outdoor grilling and smoked meats with a flair for southwest flavors. Kipp has published two Fire House cookbooks, “Fire House Favorites” and “14 Days on Rt. 66,” available through his Web site (fhpllc.net). In 2012, Kipp’s chili “Animas River Red” was awarded the title of “Best Fire Fighter Chili” in the state of New Mexico, having taken first place at the Hook N Ladder Chili Cook Off sponsored by the Ruidoso Fire Department. Kipp is also an adjunct instructor with San Juan College in the fire science department and conducts specialized fire training. In 2011, Kipp became a contributing writer for Fire Engineering and Fire Life, writing a monthly cooking article, and in 2012 launched his premier episode of the Fire House Cuisine Cooking Show on the Fire Life Web site. In 2015, Kipp became a contributing writer with Inspire Health Magazine, where he shares his Fire House-inspired recipes “Healthy Food with an Attitude.”

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