Shrimp Tacos

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 lbs best-quarity large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 lime
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour (available at latin or asian markets)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon dried whole mexican oregano, rubbed to a powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle cold beer, plus more
• beer, to thin the batter if necessary
• vegetable oil
• 1/4 ripe avocado, peeled
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 3 drops of freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 -2 tablespoon water or 1 -2 tablespoon milk
• 2 fresh fresh cilantro stems, stemmed and chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or 1/2 cup lime mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water or 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
• fresh corn tortilla, warmed
• salsa, de chiles de arbol or bottled hot sauce
• shredded iceberg lettuce or green cabbage
• pico de gallo
• diced red onion, mixed with chopped
• fresh cilantro (optional)
• lime wedge

Recipe

• 1 cut each shrimp into two or three pieces, spritz a little lime over the shrimp to moisten- don't overdo it - and refrigerate.
• 2 make the batter: combine the flour and seasonings in a bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk. add the beer all at once, whishk until smooth, and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• 3 pour the oil into a deep, wide pan to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high heat to 365 degrees.
• 4 check the batter; it should be a thick coating consistency. if it seems too thick, add beer, water, or milk, 1 teaspoons at a time, until the right consistency is achieved. it's better to be slightly too thick than too thin!
• 5 pat the shrimp dry and add to the batter. fish out a ew pieces at a time and fry until golden brown. drain the shrimp on paper towels.
• 6 to prepare hold a tortilla in your hand and add a spoonful of avocado sauce (directions for sauce are in the following step). add the shrimp, a squeeze of secret sauce (recipe follows), and a healthy shot of hot salsa. top with lettuce, pico de gallo, and onion and cilantro. squeeze lime over the whole thing.
• 7 avocado sauce: place the avocado, salt, and lime juice ina blender or small food processor. add 1 tablespoon water and pulse. add more liquid as necessary to make a sauce the consistency of thick cream. add the cilantro and pulse again just to blend. taste for seasoning; it should be a little bland.
• 8 mayonesa secret sauce: place the mayonnaise in a bowl and use a fork to slowly stir in vinegar to taste. add water to loosen to the consistency of thick cream.