Mexican Night Continued: Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos with Soft Corn Tortillas

Tacos. Awesome.  Honestly, my favorite part are the fresh, corn tortillas.  The filling is just window dressing. You can add anything to these.  Don’t like shrimp? Add chicken, skirt steak or beans.  While it’s always nice for someone else to be making and serving you a margarita, I have constantly been disappointed by restaurant tacos- even at self-proclaimed traditional spots.  Sometimes, they don’t even make or offer corn tortillas!  Maddening.  Buy a tortilla press.  I like the cast iron ones.  They are not expensive and take up less room than any kitchen appliance I own- and that is saying something.  The results are also a thousand times better than any of those rubbery, 1000-count bags you buy at the grocery.  You use a few and the rest end up in the back of your freezer….I know how it goes.      

I digress...

Well seasoned and properly prepared protein and sliced avocado topped with a squeeze of lime filled into a warm, soft corn tortilla is magic on a plate. Simple ingredients, delicious results. Now, go. Cook.  

Corn Tortillas

2 cups MasecaⓇ Corn Flour, do not substitute corn meal!

1 1/4 cups water

1/4 tsp salt

1. Add masa and salt to bowl and add water.  Mix to combine and form dough.  Divide dough in half and keep doing so until you reach 16 relatively even dough balls.  

2. Prepare tortilla press by placing a piece of plastic wrap on both plates, then press down using the handle.  Here’s what it looks like:

3. Heat a skillet to medium high; cast iron, non-stick or stainless will work.  Check heat by sprinkling a little water in the pan.  If it quickly sizzles and evaporates, you’re ready to go. Preheat oven to lowest temperature.

4. Place tortilla in pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Flip over and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove tortilla from pan and place onto a cookie sheet or oven safe plate.  Lightly cover with foil and place in warm oven if you’re making a bunch.  I like to keep them in the oven if I haven’t finished cooking my filling yet so they stay warm.  Continue until all tortillas are made.  That’s it.       

Chili Lime Shrimp

About 6 Tacos

18 large shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1 ½ tsp Chili powder

½ tsp cumin

Fresh lime juice to taste

Large pinch salt

Olive oil

1 avocado, sliced

Cilantro, chopped for garnish

1. Toss cleaned shrimp with Chili, cumin, salt.  Cook now or let sit 15-20 minutes.

2. Heat large skillet to medium high.  Lightly coat bottom of pan with olive oil and when oil is glistening, add shrimp.  If you have a smaller skillet, saute the shrimp in batches to avoid steaming them.  Cook shrimp until just opaque and pink in color.  About 3-4 minutes. Unsure? Test one at 3 minutes by cutting in half to see if center is cooked through.  Unless you buy jumbo sized shrimp, cooking time should not exceed 4 minutes.

3. Place cooked shrimp in mixing bowl and add lime juice and chopped cilantro.  Add salt if necessary.

4. Assembly:  3-4 shrimp per taco, 2  slices of avocado, maybe a dollop of tomatillo salsa and you’re in business.    

Enjoy!

MJM