Shrimp Tacos & Charred Habanero Pineapple Salsa

These tacos are my answer to the question - What do I cook for that person I just started dating?

Shrimp and chorizo are a match made in heaven. Throw that together with a creamy base and a corn tortilla and you’re bound to have a good night. What takes these babies to a whole different level (not unlike we want this date to go) is the charred pineapple salsa.

ingredients (Serves 6 tacos)

For the Tacos

• 6 corn (soft) tortillas

• 350g White Pacific shrimp (shell on)

• 180g spanish style chorizo

• Fresh cilantro leafs (about 2 cups)

• 2 cups greek yogurt (full fat)

• 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt

• Black pepper

For the Salsa

• 1/2 pineapple (cubed)

• 6 chiles (combine scotch bonnets and habaneros)

• The stems from the cilantro leafs, finely chopped (Approx 1/3 cup)

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp white distilled vinegar

• The juice of 1 lemon

• 1 1/2 tbsps honey

• Kosher salt

instructions:

1. Preheat your broiler.

2. While your broiler is coming up to temperature, peel your shrimp. You can keep the shells for stock. If not, discard them.

3. Season your shrimp with 1/2 tbsp of kosher salt, well distributed and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside the peeled shrimp in the fridge.

4. On a rimmed baking sheet place your chiles. Place them in the oven underneath the broiler for about 3 or 4 minutes until they’re charred. Then using tongs, spin them around so they get equally charred on the bottom. (You can grill them as well if you’re cooking outside).

5. Once you’re chiles are sufficiently charred, and they have deep black spots, remove them from the heat and takeoff their stems. They will have soften and wrinkled. (You can wear gloves while doing this. If not, just make sure you wash your hands with soap after handling the chiles, as they will irritate your skin. Be mindful of what or who you touch before washing your hands).

6. Turn the broiler off and keep your oven on at 420F.

7. In a medium pan, add your chorizo sliced into half moons. Let the chorizo come up to temperature on the pan on low, medium heat. you want it’s fat to render out slowly.

8. In the meantime, place them in your molcajete, mortar and pestile or processor with your chopped cilantro and pound (or pulse only three or four times) until the chiles have broken up, have released their water but there are still visible chunks. (Do not liquify your salsa).

9. Start adding gradually your oil, vinegar and lemon juice while continuing to pound to combine everything.

10. Season with salt and begin tasting. It should be quite spicy, remember we’re going to continue to tame the heat.

11. Add your honey and half your cubed pineapple. Pound or pulse one more time to combine. Taste again. Add more salt or vinegar as necessary.

12. Finally add the last of your pineapple and olive oil. Taste again. You want the salsa to be effectively drowned in olive oil. Add more if necessary and once you’re happy with the result, set aside.

13. Once your chorizo is nice and brown and it has released a most of it’s fat, remove the pieces leaving as much of the fat behind as possible. Set the chorizo pieces aside.

14. Turn the heat up to get that fat nice and hot. Once smoking, add your shrimp to the pan and quickly make sure all of them are making contact with the bottom of the skillet and they’re not overlapping.

15. Let them be for 40 seconds to a minute max. Then quickly flip them so that they’re touching the heat on the opposite side for maximum 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, placing them in a bowl. Spoon some of the chorizo fat on top of them while they rest. This will ensure they finish cooking. Your shrimp should look pink and curled up, with every so slightly golden brown edges.

16. Place 6 corn tortillas on the oven’s wrack, or on a baking sheet to ket them warmed up (if you want, you can brush them with the left over chorizo fat, so they fry a bit in the oven, but be warned, this will make them a bit crispy. If you prefer to keep them soft, you can heat them up on the stove top on a cast iron or large skillet).

17. While your tortillas are heating up, in a bowl, combine your greek yogurt and 2 tbsps of olive oil. Mix well and season with a bit of salt. Set aside.

18. Turn your tortillas and when warmed through, serve everything on the table family style so that everyone can make their own taco.

19. Plate starting with a dollop of yogurt mixture slathered on top of the tortilla. Then fill the taco with a combination of chorizo and shrimp. Top everything with a spoonful of salsa and finish the taco with some fresh cilantro leafs.