Shrimp Tacos

With Strawberry Pico

I had some lovely fish tacos recently and was inspired to create some of my own. The idea was to have a dish for the upcoming Memorial Day. Something colorful and fun. Casual, assembled by the cook, a buffet/picnic item cooked on a grill and assembled by guests. The other consideration, a proliferation of beautiful strawberries this year. I cannot get enough of them. So why not a salsa or pico de gallo with them? I researched my idea and, to my dismay, the idea is common with other chefs. So much for my originality but, never mind, the idea is good and a nice alternative to a tomato-based recipe.

The fresh strawberries are sweet and retain the red color for the holiday. The flavor goes with shrimp, fish, chicken and pork so, if you do not use shrimp as the base, one of these other proteins will work. The recipe is super easy and whether you cook indoors or choose to grill in the backyard, it will be a colorful and delicious meal. The only thing that needs be pre-planed is the crema. It takes a few hours or overnight but is a worth the effort. I call for corn tortillas in the recipe but ones made with wheat flour work well. They still retain the corn flavor but are more flexible.

SHRIMP TACOS with STRAWBERRY PICO de GALLO

Items needed for the tacos:

• 6 inch corn tortillas, I figure 3 per guest.

• Peeled and deveined medium shrimp, figure 3 or 4 per taco

• Strawberry Pico de Gallo

• Mexican style crema

• Diced avocado

• Crumbled cotija or queso fresco cheese

• Chopped scallions as another garnish, if you like

Ingredients for the pico:

• 3 cups fresh strawberries, about 1 pound, hulled and rough chopped

• 1 cup red onion, chopped fine

• 1 medium poblano pepper, cored and diced. If you want more heat, add a small jalapeno finely chopped

• ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ cup chopped cilantro

Method:

• Toss all ingredients together in a bowl an hour or two before serving. It will keep in the fridge for 2 days, but loses its appeal when the berries over-macerate. It is best fresh

Ingredients for the crema:

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2 tablespoons active cultures plain yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk

• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice

• Dash of salt

Method:

• Warm the cream to 90F degrees and then whisk in the yogurt, lime juice and salt

• Cover and keep in a warm place for 4 to 6 hours, or overnight in the fridge. It should be the consistency of a liquid yogurt or kefir

For the shrimp:

• Put the shrimp in a bowl and toss with some Creole, Cajun or BBQ seasoning and then toss them again with a little neutral oil

• Roast in a 375F degree oven just until done, about 5 minutes. Or if cooking on a grill, have a moderate heat and turn after 2 minutes and cook only another 2 or 3 minutes. You might even cook them on a grill compatible sheet pan to avoid losing shrimp through the grates

Assembly:

• Warm the tortillas individually over a low flame on the stovetop or on the grill

• Place 3 or 4 cooked shrimp on the tortillas followed by the strawberry pico, avocado, crumbled cheese and drizzle with crema

• Finely shredded lettuce or green cabbage could be offered on the side for anyone who might try to fit anything more in the taco, but I found that the tacos were already full enough.

• If the crema is a task that you want to avoid, then I suggest using some sour cream or full fat Greek yogurt and thinning it with some heavy cream.

Have a great Memorial Day!

Enjoy!