Chipotle Shrimp
This combination of sweet shrimp and smoky chipotle has been the absolute favorite at Coyote Café for more than twenty years. The pairing of chipotle and seafood is common throughout Mexico. My most memorable (and outrageous) version was at a party thrown by Patricia Quintana, the famous Mexican chef and writer, for her birthday in her home state of Veracruz. She invited fifty chefs, food writers, restaurant owners, and winemakers to a feast spread out on a river bank where huge pots filled with enormous amounts of crayfish cooked over open wood fires. I must have eaten 200 crayfish, which were cooked with chipotles, roasted garlic, grilled tomatoes, and served with warm tortillas on wood tables and beer trays—and almost disappeared behind a mountain of shells. The shrimp are best when marinated for 1 to 2 hours—any longer is not necessary. For a deliciously smoky flavor, grill the shrimp rather than sautéing them on the stove.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 tacos
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat; add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds (don’t let the garlic burn); remove from the heat. In a large bowl, add the shrimp, sautéed garlic, chipotle puree, oregano, and salt. Toss together, cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Step 2
In a large, heavy skillet or griddle, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low and sauté the shrimp until they just turn pink and are barely cooked (they will continue to cook after they are removed from the heat). Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Step 3
To serve soft tacos, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the slaw and filling equally between the tortillas and top with salsa and garnish. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some slaw and filling, top with salsa and garnish, and eat right away.
