Mezcal Shrimp Tacos With Guac Crema Recipes

MEZCAL SHRIMP TACOS WITH GUAC CREMA

Steps:

• Gather your ingredients.
• For the crema: Seed and chop green chili. Halve and pit avocado. To a food processor or high power blender, add the juice of 1 lime, chili, scoop in the avocado, onion and crema or sour cream and process into a smooth sauce. Season with salt to taste.
• For the tacos: Finely chop onion. Place tomatoes in a strainer to drain. Pat shrimp dry. Peel garlic and thinly slice, grate or chop garlic.
• Heat a large cast-iron or wide, shallow skillet over medium-high heat with EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Melt butter into oil and when it foams add onion, garlic, cumin, paprika and chipotle in adobo. Swirl and toss a minute. Add tomatoes, cook a minute or 2 more, then add mezcal and a drizzle of honey -- be mindful of a flare up. Swirl a minute more. Add the shrimp to the sauce, season with salt and pepper and cook, turning occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Add juice of lime, remove from heat.
• Char tortillas in a hot stainless pan over high heat or over open flame on gas burners. Blister the tortillas 20 to 30 seconds and stack in a cloth napkin or towel to keep warm.
• Serve shrimp in serving bowl with tortillas, crema, lettuce, lime wedges and toppings alongside.
• To build tacos: Slather or squirt sauce on tortilla, top with lettuce, shrimp -- squirt on more lime juice of you like, cilantro, jalapenos, radishes, cheese and scallions.

CREAM TACOS: TACOS DE CREMA

Steps:

• Blanch the tomatillos in 1 quart boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and save 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Set aside, cool, and remove husks. Place tomatillos in a blender with the garlic, salt, and serrano chiles. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons cooking liquid and blend on high speed for 10 seconds. Set sauce aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Mexican sausage and fry until browned and completely cooked through. Transfer sausage to paper towels to drain and set aside.
• Simmer sauce for 5 minutes in a pan wide enough to dip tortillas. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over high flame. With tongs, dip 1 tortilla at a time in the hot oil for a few seconds to coat and heat and then dip the tortilla in tomatillo sauce. Place on a serving plate and fill with 1/12th of the Mexican sausage, 1 tablespoon minced onion, and 1/2 teaspoon minced cilantro. Roll the tortilla into the shape of an enchilada. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top with sauce, sour cream, strips of green chile, and a cilantro sprig. Serve immediately.

CAMARONES CON CREMA (MEXICAN SHRIMP IN CREAM)

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place bell peppers, onion, and garlic in the butter and saute until tender and onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside. Save pan and juices and keep warm.
• Combine broth and green chiles in a separate pan and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and add cream cheese, stirring slowly until incorporated. Add Mexican crema, chile de arbol, cumin, and oregano. Stir again. Add peppers, onion, and garlic; stir to incorporate. Remove from heat.
• Heat reserved pan with juices over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp until they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is opaque, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Stir shrimp into cream mixture and serve.

SHRIMP TACOS WITH CILANTRO-LIME CREMA

Steps:

• Rinse defrosted shrimp under cold water, drain, and pat dry.
• Combine shrimp, chili powder, garlic, paprika, cumin, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coriander, and orange zest in a bowl. Mix well.
• Heat olive oil in nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook until bright pink on the outside and the meat is opaque, 4 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the shrimp.
• While shrimp cooks, prepare crema by whisking together sour cream, zest and juice of 1 lime, 1 teaspoon cilantro, garlic powder, and 1 pinch each of salt and black pepper.
• Heat corn tortillas in either a pan or on a griddle over low heat, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Be careful not to let them burn. Set aside.
• Assemble tacos by spreading 1 teaspoon crema across each tortilla, adding 3 or 4 shrimp, 2 slices of avocado, a sprinkle of fresh red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. Serve with sliced limes to squeeze on top and extra crema on the side.