Shrimp Taco Dorado

a serving board with loaded shrimp tacos

Number of Servings:

12 tacos (serves 6)

Recipe Source:

Amor y Tacos by Deborah Schneider ($18.95, Harry N. Abrams, 2010)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons butter or olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, tails removed, and cut in half if large
1 teaspoon finely chopped chipotles in adobo
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
Large corn tortillas
1 ¹⁄₂ cups grated Jack cheese
Chipotle Salsa
Mango Habanero Salsa
Guacamole
Cilantro sprigs

Directions

In an 8-inch sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter or oil over medium heat. When it is heated, but not brown, add the garlic and shrimp, and cook, stirring, until the shrimp are pink. Stir in the chipotles and salt and remove from the heat.
Preheat a heavy pan or griddle over medium heat and brush it lightly with some of the remaining butter or olive oil. Set a corn tortilla on the griddle and scatter 2 tablespoons of shredded Jack cheese evenly over the tortilla. Set 3 or 4 shrimp on one side of the tortilla. When the cheese starts to melt, fold the tortilla in half over the shrimp, and continue to cook on both sides until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is lightly crisped and golden brown.
Open the taco. Dollop 1 teaspoon of chipotle salsa on top of the shrimp and follow with a tablespoon each of guacamole and mango habanero salsa. Tuck a couple of cilantro sprigs into the opening and serve right away.

Notes

The dorado taco is a super taco—a new trend in which the basic taco is elaborated upon by adding more salsas, cheese, and garnishes; adding layers; toasting and frying; and generally pushing the taco to its limit. A good dorado is gooey, substantial, and filling—a corn tortilla fried on the griddle with a little butter or oil until golden and half crisped, then stuffed with cheese and any number of fillings and sauces.

This taco, a favorite of mine, tops melted cheese with garlicky shrimp, guacamole, and chipotle salsa, then finishes with a spoonful of sweet-hot mango habanero salsa and fresh cilantro sprigs. It all comes together quickly, so make sure everything is ready to serve before you start cooking the shrimp.

Nutrition Info:

2 tacos, made with olive oil and corn tortillas: 426 Calories, 29 g Protein, 151 mg Cholesterol, 30 g Carbohydrates, 4 g Total sugars (0 g Added sugars), 5 g Fiber, 23 g Total fat (7 g sat), 1,091 mg Sodium, ★★★★★ Phosphorus, ★★★ Calcium, ★★ Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Zinc, ★ Vitamin A, Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin B12, Vitamin E, Potassium

The Salsa Recipes

THese deliciously blended flavors are the perfect topping for your shrimp taco.

Chipotle Salsa

Mango Habanero Salsa

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Contributor

Deborah Schneider

Deborah Schneider is the executive chef/partner of SOL Cocina in Newport Beach, CA, and was dubbed "the reigning queen of San Diego chefs" by Bon Appétit. She is the author of the James Beard-nominated Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta, Amor y Tacos, ¡Baja! Cooking on the Edge, which was one of Food & Wine's Best of the Best of 2006; and is the coauthor of Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of Latin Cooking.

Shrimp Taco Dorado

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Ingredients

Directions

Notes