Recipe For Shrimp Tacos With Avocado Corn Salsa From Steve Raichlen

Ingredients

Shrimp Tacos
16 jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 soft corn tortillas

Avocado Corn Salsa
1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 ripe red tomato, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 ear sweet corn, shucked
1 scallion, both white and green parts, trimmed and finely chopped
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers or serrano peppers, seeded and minced (for a hotter salsa, leave the seeds in)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then blot them dry with paper towels.
2. Place the chile powder, garlic salt, coriander, oregano, cumin, and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Stir in the olive oil. Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Cook the shrimp. Using a grill pan, place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot, a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the marinated shrimp in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side. If you don't have a grill pan, follow Raichlen's instructions for any of the grills. When done the shrimp will turn pinkish white and will feel firm to the touch.
4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and wrap the corn tortillas in foil.
5. Meanwhile, make the avocado and corn salsa: place the avocado in the bottom of a nonreactive mixing bowl and gently toss it with 2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Spoon the tomato on top of the avocado. Cut the kernels off the corn. Add the corn kernels to the mixing bowl. The salsa can be prepared to this stage up to 2 hours ahead. Refrigerate it, covered.
6. About 15 minutes before serving, place the foil-wrapped tortillas in the oven to warm.
7. Just before serving, add the jalapeño(s) and cilantro to the salsa mixing bowl and gently toss to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice as necessary and season with salt and pepper to taste; the salsa should be highly seasoned.
8. On each plate, place one warm tortilla and top with 4 shrimp and desired amount of salsa.

Makes 4 servings.

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