Chorizo Shrimp Peach Tacos w/ Pickled Salsa Verde
Any taco night is always, officially a Taco Party. Even if it’s only you on the guest list.
I cannot stress how much I loved these. And how much my friends loved them too.
There was skepticism on all sides. Chickpeas on my taco? Peaches with my shrimp? The recipe took some finessing but I can safely and confidently confirm, this recipe is the best version of whatever this is.
They're super salty and meaty and savory, thanks to that chorizo fat that effectively cooks the shrimps (Who’ve been swimming in this salty, sweet, spicy, pickled marinate).
The sour cream at the bottom provides a bit of necessary cooling. The salsa brings tang and acidity, the chickpea croutons provide crunch and the peaches… Oh, the peaches. They provide juice. All the juice. (Why I haven’t been eating tacos with pieces of juicy summer fruit my entire life is a mystery to me).
It’s a good time. Throw on some sweet bachata. Dance. Try not to get burned, and been provecho.
ingredients (Makes 8 Tacos)
8 Corn tortillas
2 1/2 Cups Sour cream
2 tbsps olive oil
1 Cup Pickled green peppers (Chopped)
1 Cup of the brine of the pickled peppers
1 Lemon
3 Peaches
150g Spanish style chorizo
400g (About 26 - 30 Pieces) Large Shrimp shell on
1 Red pickled onion
1 Can of Chickpeas
1 Bunch of fresh Cilantro
2 Cups fresh chopped parsley
4 Scallions
Crushed Chipotle (1 small can)
Garlic (1 clove)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
instructions
Preheat your oven to 420ªF
If you have frozen shrimp, thaw and then peel. Discard shells (Or save to make shrimp broth!).
In a large bowl, combine the chipotle brine, the crushed garlic, 1/4 of a cup of pickled pepper juice & 2 tbsps of olive oil. Mix well to combine
Add your peeled shrimp into the bowl, make sure all of them are coated in the marinade, and let sit for 1 / 2 hours.
In a small bowl, mix in the sour cream with 2 tbsps of Olive Oil until smooth and homogeneous
Drain your canned chickpeas and place in one even layer in a sheet tray. Season with salt a pepper, drizzle some olive oil to coat and place in the oven for 45 mins to 1 hour. Checking every 20 mins to shake the sheet tray to move the beans around, so that they get evenly golden brown on all sides. When done, you'll want the chickpeas to considerably shrink in size and for them to be very crispy. If they're not crispy yet, place back in the oven. This will depend on the amount of moisture they keep when drained. The idea is for them to be toasty and crunchy, almost like a crouton.
Thinly slice the red onion and place in a small sauce pan with 1/2 cup of warm water, 1/2 cup vinegar, 2 tbsps salt, 2 tbsps sugar and one tsp of red chilly flake (optional). Let sit while you make everything else.
Finely chop your scallion, herbs, pickled peppers and add the lemon juice & 3 tbsps of Olive Oil. Mix well to combine and season with salt.
In a large pan, with one tbsp of olive oil, add your chorizo, chopped into small cubes, and cook on medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes until it has rendered all its fat, reduced in sice and darkened in color. Then pick the chorizo bites and set them aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
Add in your shrimp to cook in the chorizo fat. You can have some of the marinade piggy back into the pan to create a bit of a pan sauce, but not so much so that they boil. You want the shrimp to fry in the fat. Let them cook on one side for about 3 minutes and then turn to cook very briefly (one more minute max). Set aside and add the cooked shrimp to the chorizo bowl.
Pit both your peaches, leaving only the flesh. Then slice into wedges. You should get 6 -8 wedges from each peach. Place in a bowl and set aside.
Heat your tortillas in a large pan or in the oven. You could brush a bit of oil into the tortillas so that they toast and also fry a bit, this makes them a bit more crunchy.
Place in the table the bowls with your salsa, the chickpea croutons, the pickled onions, the sour-cream, the peach slices, the shrimp with chorizo the tortillas and a small plate with fresh cilantro and sliced lemons.
Recommended order of operations is slathering a spoonful of the cream onto the tortilla, then placing the shrimp and chorizo mixture. Nestle in some peach wedges, spoon some chickpea croutons on top followed by the salsa and topped with the pickled onions and some cilantro leaves.
