Hot & Smoky Shrimp Tacos

Yield: 20-24 tacos or 8-10 servings

Taco Filling:

  • 3 T olive oil

  • 1 T butter

  • 8 garlic cloves, sliced

  • 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp (26 to 30 per lb), peeled and deveined, cut into small pieces

  • 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt

  • 1/8 to 1/4 c. pureed chipotle chiles en abodo

  • 1/2 c. roasted tomato puree or canned tomato sauce

  • 2 T cold water

  • Juice of 1/2 orange

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 1/2 c. chopped cilantro

  • corn tortillas

  1. Preheat a heavy skillet or saute pan to medium hot (325 degrees); add olive oil and butter and continue heating until oil begins to smoke (400 degrees). Immediately add garlic, shrimp, and salt, stirring or tossing vigorously. Oil tends to splatter at this temperature so be careful.

  2. When shrimp begin to turn opaque, stir in the chipotle, en abodo and saute about 15 seconds to completely coat shrimp.

  3. Add tomato puree, water and orange and lime juices.

  4. Reduce heat slightly and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

  5. Serve in fresh soft corn tortillas.

Al and I have come to love Sante Fe and, one of the times we traveled there, we decided to take a cooking lesson at the Sante Fe School of Cooking. There were two cooking “teams” and Al volunteered me to cook at the team opposite from him… Too bad, I learned how to roast poblanos, but we both did learn the secret of slow and long sautéing of onions for the best possible carmelization… We made three types of fillings for tacos (hard and soft) and ending up really loving the shrimp taco mix. We look back longingly on the pre-art fair days when we took great vacations, but at least we were able to take away some great recipes from that trip.

~ Diane