Page 16 of Sex On A Plate

BANGING SHRIMP TACOS

DIFFICULTY: Your 12-year-old daughter can do this.

TIME: 20 minutes, start to finish.

What you’ll need from the cupboard: A skillet and a rubber spatula. Taco trays if you have them.

What you’ll need from the pantry: Frozen popcorn shrimp, mayonnaise, sriracha sauce, McCormick’s Thai Kitchen Sweet Red Chili Sauce (not necessary, but recommended), Tabasco and shredded cabbage (coleslaw style). Mission Street Taco Carb Balance Flour Tortillas, a salsa of your choice, and crumbly cheese (I prefer Cacique Queso Fresco). If you don’t have queso fresco, you can use the shredded cheese of your preference.

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Decide how many tacos you’re making. Three to four per person satisfies most people. Figuring four shrimp per street taco plus six, remove what you’ll need from the bag or box. For the sake of this recipe, let’s say you’re cooking for two people.

Get all your add-ons ready. Cheese, cabbage (or lettuce), tortillas, salsa, etc. Set it wherever you want, but within reasonable reach of wherever it is that you’re cooking.

Cook the thirty-eight shrimp (four tacos/person times two people times four shrimp per taco, plus six) according to the instructions on the box (or bag). I prefer to cook them in an air fryer at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Just prior to the shrimp finishing, place your skillet on the stove.

Turn the burner to medium high heat. Add a little oil.

Pause.

At this juncture, you either need to have your shit together, or at least have your condiments and/or tortillas ready. When this comes together, you need to act fast. The shrimp go from crispy and wonderful to soggy (and wonderful) in a quick.

I like to use the little bended sheets of metal that hold tacos (often seen in little wannabe taco shops, upscale Tex-Mex diners, or Williams Sonoma). If you, too, like using them, make sure your tortillas are situated in them and ready for action.

Now, back to cooking.

When the skillet’s at temp (hopefully at roughly the same time as the shrimp is done), add two parts mayonnaise to one-part Sriracha sauce and one-part Thai chili sauce. If you don’t have Thai chili sauce you can mix one to one mayonnaise and sriracha.

You’ll only need enough cover the shrimp, so don’t go nuts here.

I’d say I use no more than a TOTAL of four 1/4-cup parts if I’m making enough for the entire family.

Heat sriracha mixture over medium high heat, stirring with your little rubber spatula. Once it’s mixed well and orange-colored, add three healthy squirts of Tabasco. Much more will make it taste like shit, and any less will leave you wondering what’s missing.

Be forewarned, the fumes off this sauce will make your eyes water.

Throw in the shrimp. Toss with the spatula until everything’s covered. Stir a few times for effect (and to let some of the sauce soak in). This process, from start to finish, takes 2 minutes, tops.

Remove the skillet from the stove and RUSH to the tortillas. Add four shrimp per tortilla. Then, choose two random tacos on your guest’s plate and two on your plate. Add one shrimp each to those chosen tacos.

When you’re eating shrimp tacos, nothing is as good as a random extra shrimp.

Top with cabbage. Crumble some cheese on top. Add salsa, if desired (my wife drizzles them with Hidden Valley Ranch).

Eat, promptly.

Enjoy.