Birria-Style Tom Yum Crispy Shrimp Tacos
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Food:
Shrimp
Serves:
7 tacos
Prep Time:
20 min
Cook Time:
30 min
The best shrimp tacos ever. These Tom Yum Crispy Shrimp Tacos served birria-style are unforgettable. The first step is hand-chopping shrimp and mixing it with green onions, ginger, garlic, shredded cheese, soy sauce, fish sauce, and chili crisp, plus a bit of potato starch. The shrimp mixture goes into flour tortillas, folded, fried until crispy, then transferred to the flattop for a perfect sear. Served with Tom Yum broth for dipping to get that birria experience, these crispy shrimp tacos will be the best you ever make.
By:Chef Matt Basile
Ingredients
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1 bag 16-20 or 25-30 size shrimp, thawed peeled
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3 green onions, finely chopped
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4 tbsp chili crisp, or more depending on your spice level
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2 cloves garlic
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1 tbsp minced/pureed ginger
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5 shakes fish sauce
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2 tbsp soy sauce
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1 tbsp potato starch
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½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
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2 tbsp black and white sesame seeds
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7-8 flour tortillas
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5-6 sticks lemongrass, white/light green parts only
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2 green onions, finely chopped
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1 L Tom Yum Broth
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5 shakes fish sauce
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227g mushrooms
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1 pint (225-255g) cherry or grape tomatoes
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6 Limes, divided
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½ bunch cilantro
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1 medium white onion
Tom Yum Dipping Broth
Garnish
Instructions
Finely chop the shrimp until it forms a bit of a paste and place it in a bowl. Add the green onion, chili crisp, grate in the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame seeds, cheese and potato starch. Mix well until combined.
To build the tacos, add the shrimp mixture onto one side of the tortilla (about 3-4 heaping tablespoons) fold the tortilla over and press lightly, use the back of a spoon smooth the edges of the tortillas so the shrimp mixture doesn’t stick out. Place in the tacos in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to set.
For the broth, use a cleaver or sharp knife to hit little cuts into the lemongrass stalks to allow the flavour to escape. Put a pot on the elevated rack and add the lemon grass. Chop the green onions and add to the pot, pour in the Tom Yum broth. Season with fish sauce and squeeze in the juice from 2-3 limes. Cover and bring to a simmer.
Trim the stems of the mushrooms and cut in half, place on the flattop along with the whole cherry/grape tomatoes. Add a bit of oil and allow to cook until nicely charred, flipping occasionally. Transfer into the pot of soup. Cover and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
If the soup is still cooking, move the pot to the live-fire grill and keep simmering, then add a cast iron pan to the elevated rack. Add oil to the pan, leaving about an inch of space at the top. Allow to heat up. In batches, fry the tacos, about 6-7 minutes, flipping midway or as needed. Remove from the oil and place straight on the flattop and sear 1-2 minutes per side.
Finely chop the onion and cilantro, place in a bowl and mix. Cut the remaining limes into quarters.
To plate, ladle the soup into a small bowl. Place the tacos on a platter and the bowl of soup in the centre. Sprinkle the onion and cilantro mix over the tacos and onto the soup as garnish. Serve with the slices of lime. Squeeze the lime over the tacos before eating and dip into the soup.