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Baja Fried-Shrimp Tacos

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 From 2 ratings.

User Reviews

This was so good that I've been thinking about it all week! The whole family loved it.  Had some trouble with the breading adhering to the shrimp once it hit the oil, but it was delicious just the same

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Baja Fried-Shrimp Tacos

  • staff favorite STAFF FAVORITE
TOTAL TIME: 50 MIN
SERVES: 4
For his taco truck, chef Michael Rypka created a menu of amped-up street food that utilizes his deep fryer: fried avocado tacos, fried chicken tacos and Baja fried-shrimp tacos filled with crispy jumbo shrimp and warm cabbage slaw dressed with a tangy chipotle sauce.
ingredients
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 chipotle in adobo, stemmed
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 small green cabbage, shredded (about 3 cups)
  • 2 large carrots, shredded
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 24 large shrimp (about 1 1/4 pounds), shelled and deveined
  • 2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
  • 12 corn tortillas, warmed
  • 4 pickled jalapeños, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
  • 2 1/2 ounces queso fresco or mild feta, crumbled ( 1/2 cup)
  • Lime wedges, for serving
directions
  1. In a mini food processor, blend the mayonnaise with the chipotle and 1 tablespoon of the buttermilk. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate.
  2. Heat a large skillet until very hot. Add the butter, cabbage and carrots and cook over high heat until the cabbage is browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl.
  3. In a large saucepan, heat 2 1/2 inches of vegetable oil to 350°. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the remaining 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Put the panko in another bowl. Coat each shrimp with the panko and fry in batches until golden, about 2 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
  4. Spoon some of the cabbage into the center of each tortilla and top with 2 fried shrimp. Drizzle with the chipotle mayonnaise and sprinkle with some of the pickled jalapeños, red onion, cilantro and queso fresco. Serve with lime wedges.
Recipe by Michael Rypka
From The New Airstream Cuisine
This recipe originally appeared in May, 2008.