Shrimp tacos
Actor Danny Trejo stuffs his tacos with zesty avocado crema, homemade tomatillo coleslaw and jumbo prawns marinated in a smoky-sweet diablo sauce.
You will need a squeezy bottle to serve the avocado crema the way Danny does. Alternatively, just spoon it over.
Ingredients
For the salsa verde
- 12 medium tomatillos (about 600g/1lb 5oz), papery skin removed and left whole
- 1 medium jalapeño, left whole
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ medium onion, peeled
- 20²µ/½´Ç³ú fresh coriander
- 1 lime, juice only, plus extra to taste
- 1 tbsp sea salt, plus extra to taste
For the coleslaw
- 450g/1lb white cabbage, thinly sliced
- 25g/1oz carrot, grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the avocado crema
- 2 medium avocados, halved, pitted and peeled
- 400ml/14fl oz coconut cream
For the spicy diablo shrimp
- 1 medium head garlic (about 10 cloves), separated and peeled
- 110ml/3½fl oz extra virgin olive oil, plus extra 3 tbsp
- 4 tinned chipotle chillies in adobo sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 85g/3oz runny honey
- 1 lime, juice only
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- 400g/14oz jumbo shrimp (or king prawns), peeled and deveined
To serve
Method
To make the salsa verde, heat a large heavy skillet over a medium heat for about 4 minutes until it’s very hot. Add the whole tomatillos and jalapeño. They should sizzle when they hit the dry hot pan. Cook for 5–7 minutes until they are black and blistered in spots and soft on one side. Use tongs to turn the tomatillos and jalapeño over. Add the garlic cloves. Cook the tomatillos, jalapeño and garlic for 5–7 minutes until the tomatillos and jalapeño are blistered but not burnt. Remove the pan from the heat and let them cool to room temperature.
Transfer the tomatillos, jalapeño and garlic to a blender or food processor and add the onion, coriander, lime juice and salt. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and add more salt or lime juice if desired. Transfer the coleslaw sauce to a bowl and chill before serving or chill in an airtight container for up to five days.
To make the coleslaw, put the white cabbage and carrot in a bowl. Add 42g/1½oz salsa verde and ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Mix well.
To make the crema, put the avocados, coconut cream and 4–6 tbsp salsa verde in a blender and blend until smooth. Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to three days.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
To make the diablo sauce, toss the garlic cloves with 2 tablespoons olive oil on a rimmed baking tray. Roast, stirring halfway through, until the garlic is soft and medium-brown, but not too dark. Check at 30 minutes – if it’s getting too dark, remove. If not, cook for up to 45 minutes.
Put the roasting oil, roasted garlic, remaining olive oil, chipotle chillies, 2 tablespoons of the tinned adobo sauce, and garlic powder in a blender and blend. While the blender is running, slowly drizzle in the honey. Add the lime juice and salt, then blend until smooth.
Transfer the diablo sauce to a large bowl, add the shrimp, mix until well coated. Chill and marinate the shrimp for at least 10 minutes, or up to 1 hour.
Put a large frying pan over high heat. Once hot put 1 tablespoon oil in the pan, add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes until pink and fully cooked. Add any diablo sauce remaining in the bowl to the pan and cook for a further 1 minute.
To serve, warm the tortillas and place on a serving plate. Spoon or squeezy the avocado crema on top, then top with the coleslaw and cooked shrimp in diablo sauce. Garnish with the sliced radishes, fresh coriander, pickled red onions and lime wedges.