Deborah Schneider

Shrimp Taco Dorado

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Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Makes

    12

    substantial tacos, enough for 6 hungry people.

Appears in

Amor y Tacos

Amor y Tacos

By Deborah Schneider

Published 2010

The dorado taco is a supertaco—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. (See also the Taco Vampiro.) 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.

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
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Large corn tortillas
  • 1½ cups grated Jack cheese
  • Chipotle salsa
  • Guacamole
  • Mango habanero salsa
  • Cilantro sprigs

Method

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

© 2010 All rights reserved. Published by Abrams Books.