Shrimp Tacos with Pickled-Red-Onion Salad

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After chef Dean Fearing made these spicy shrimp tacos with pickled onions for the BubbleQ, he served them at his Dallas restaurant, Fearing's. They are now the signature dish. "To me, anything wrapped in a flour tortilla is absolutely delicious," he says. More Tasty Tacos

Shrimp Tacos with Pickled-Red-Onion Salad
Photo: © Quentin Bacon
Active Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 15 mins
Yield:
4 tacos

Ingredients

Red Onion Salad

  • 1/2 cup white wine vinegar

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • Salt

  • 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice

  • 1 small white onion, finely diced

  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

  • 2 tablespoons malt vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  • 1/2 large ripe mango, cut into thin sticks

  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green cabbage

  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Shrimp Tacos

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 small white onion, finely chopped

  • 1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

  • 1/2 cup shredded jalapeño Jack cheese

  • Four 6-inch flour tortillas, warmed

  • 2 tablespoons salted roasted pumpkin seeds, 1 thinly sliced seeded serrano chile and 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the red onion in a small, heatproof bowl and let cool, then refrigerate overnight.

  2. In another saucepan, combine the orange juice, white onion, maple syrup, malt vinegar and cumin seeds. Boil over moderately high heat until the liquid has reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add the oil and lime juice and puree until smooth; season with salt.

  3. Drain the red onion and transfer to a bowl. Add the mango, cabbage, cilantro and half of the vinaigrette and season with salt.

  4. In a skillet, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, 5 minutes. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook, turning, until white throughout, 3 minutes. Add the barbecue sauce and bring to a simmer. Off the heat, stir in the cheese.

  5. Spoon the shrimp and red onion salad onto the tortillas and roll them up. Garnish with the pumpkin seeds, chile and cilantro, and serve with the remaining vinaigrette.

Suggested Pairing

Citrusy Spanish white.

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