Green pepper and shrimp chilli tacos are an ideal summer dish, indulgent enough to be satisfying, but light enough for hot weather. It's the additional condiments and fillings that have the calories in this one, so with alternatives, it's also easily a low-calorie dish.
It's chilli outdoors
Are there still Mexican surf hippies? I hope so. I remember this recipe for green pepper and shrimp tacos as clearly as the day a dude called Basilio taught me to cook this in some surfie flop house near Punta Baja. I suspect it had less to do with abuelita's traditional cooking and more about what you could muster locally and pull out of the supplies stashed in a clapped-out old VW Kombi van.
At that time, there really wasn't any kind of visitor accommodation on this spindly bluff in Baja California and the only really nearby settlement was a kind of fishing compound used by local fisherman famed for its red lobster. But, an enterprising widow who lived in the nearest town about twenty minutes away—whose son was involved in the local lobster trade—had come up with a smart idea. She had built a covered outdoor kitchen, put in some toilets and outdoor showers on a patch of land safely out of view of passing traffic. I doubt the set up was entirely legal. But, for a nominal fee, you could pitch your tent or park your van at this little hidden camp. The result was a kind of ad hoc commune of semi-nomadic surfers who used it as a base for chasing waves within easy reach.
A few times a week, she'd rock up with local produce for sale and she also pointed the surfies in the direction of the fishing camp within easy walking distance. There, if you know what time of day to rock up, you could get amazing lobster if you were feeling decadent. More importantly, you could get fresh large red shrimp (sometimes called spot shrimp in the US) at a very cheap price. And, the scraps of fish and seafood ideal for making a stock were practically free.
Just how long this recipe takes depends on whether you cook the whole thing from scratch or whether you buy readymade items—such as the tortillas and fish stock—in which case it takes barely 50mins to complete.
I'm doing the whole shebang here, from start to finish, with the one caveat that I have replaced certain ingredients with with a couple of ingredients that are easy to get in certain parts of the world, but less so in others.
The green bell peppers are a lead flavour in this dish and combine perfectly with the other ingredients. I would advise against using red or yellow bell peppers—yes, I have tried them—because I think they push it to the wrong side of sweetness.
Similarly, this dish is very much about using red kidney beans (frijoles rojos). Mexican black beans, also technically a type of kidney bean, have become somewhat more associated with Mexican cooking, probably because of their use in TexMex and CaliMex dishes. But both are native to Mexico and Central America. One of the reasons that red kidney beans are better for this dish is that the water from the tin, which you use in the dish, is much more effective in helping reduction and thickening whereas the water from cooked, tinned black beans can make he sauce turn a little gelatinous.
Smoke gets in your eyes
The only thing you don't get from cooking the indoor version is the wonderful smokiness from cooking this dish in an outdoor kitchen with a charcoal grill and a wood-burning open stove.
But, fear not. It's exactly what makes this a brilliant dish for a barbecue, even more so if you have one of those fancy barbecues with a smoker lid. If doing the barbecue version, you can cook the shrimp whole in their shells, peel and add to the chilli at the last minute unlike cooking them in the chilli in this version.
Either way, it's a great barbecue meal that you can cook entirely over coals, tortillas and all.
Tortilla or taco?
There still seems to be a lot of confusion about this in Europe. Whether you're making tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas or chilaquiles, you're basically going to start with a tortilla. Think of them as being to Mexican food what pasta is to Italian food; a basic carb building block that are made in different sizes depending on the dish.
There is a traditional technique to shape the dough into tortillas using nothing except your hands—not dissimilar to hand making pizza—that is a lot of fun, but a bit unwieldy and can have unpredictable results if you're not experienced. So, I'm using the hack that I used to use when cooking tacos with kids which makes it far more manageable.
Tortillas basically come in three forms: flour tortillas, corn tortillas and tortillas that use both, such as the version I'm doing here. Flour tortillas are pretty straightforward, made with plain flour that you can get almost anywhere. But, corn tortillas are made with Mexican masa harina that is made from nixtamalized corn, a process that involves first cooking the dried kernels and then soaking them in an alkaline solution, a process that almost always uses lime, which makes it different from other flours made from corn.
It comes in white, yellow and blue—depending on the variety of maize from which the flour is made—and though there are whole online forums debating which is best suited to what recipes, to date, I've largely found the main difference to be one of preferred colour on your plate. Thanks to the Internet, masa harina is now readily available online in many parts of the world if not in larger supermarkets. One of the most commonly used brands in Mexico is Maseca that is now available in many parts of the world.
However, the recipe I'm using here is the hybrid corn and flour version. Bluntly, there is no doubt that corn tortillas work fantastically for this dish. But, I discovered over the years that unless you're going to eat them all (or turn them into tortilla chips) they're quite hard to store and dry out quickly, causing them to crack when re-heated. By contrast, hybrid flour and corn tortillas keep better, including frozen (either as dough or cooked), and don't suffer from this problem.
While all tortillas are pretty easy to make, chances are you can buy quality readymade tortillas that will re-heat well and prove far less bother.
Fishy business
In for a penny, in for a pound. When I make this dish, I always go the whole nine yards and make my own fish stock. That's because the fish stock I was taught to make in an outdoor galley in Mexico is quite distinctive. There's nothing wrong with using store-bought fish stock—liquid, cubes or jellies—and who can blame you, because making your own stock can be stinky business. And, given that it takes at least 3 hours to make, it cranks up the cooking time for this dish substantially.
That's exactly what happened the first time I learned to cook this recipe: we bought the shrimp and fish off-cuts in the morning, shelled and cleaned them and then used their shells, tails and heads for the stock in the afternoon before cooking the dish in the evening.
However, learning that it keeps for at least a week in the fridge and freezes very well, now I tend to do it in reverse order. I defrost and use the stock I made the the previous time I had fishy bits leftover from this dish. Then I cook this dish, keeping the shells to be used in a stock simmering away into the night or the next day, then freeze it once cooled.
In addition to the shrimp heads, shells and tails, you'll need other bits of fish or seafood that usually get discarded: fish heads; a handful of whitebait; the ugly bits that get trimmed off squid or octopus; and so on. You can even chuck in a few mussels in their shells. Few people seem aware that most fishmongers will happily sell you 500g of off-cuts very cheaply. Just ask.
I would say this dish is "mid-spicy" with these ingredient quantities. Add additional chipotle and fresh chillies if you want it really spicy or dial back the quantities if you prefer mild.
Similarly, if you don't fancy it in tacos, it's great served with golden spiced rice instead.
This recipe is for 3 to 4 adults, and is easily scaled up for larger groups. Please note, the photos actually show quantities that are disproportionate to the recipe quantities.
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Shopping list
for the green pepper and shrimp chilli tacos
Approx. 350g large shrimp (or tiger prawns), raw, shelled
2 large sweet white onions (or brown or red) sliced
2 green bell peppers, fairly thickly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, very roughly chopped and bruised
2 red chillies, deseeded and sliced
500ml fish stock; (see below to make your own)
Approx. 100g small button mushrooms; halved
6 or 7 baby sweetcorn, cut into roughly 2cm slices (or sweetcorn)
Approx. 1½ tbspns sunflower oil
2 tspns fajita spice mix (use the spice mix recipe here or store-bought)
1 tspn chipotle chilli flakes
1 tspn pimentón dulce (sweet smoked paprika)
1 400g tin red kidney beans
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
A generous clutch of fresh parsley (or coriander), roughly chopped
1 fresh lime
salt and pepper to taste (optional)
for the tacos
1 cup masa harina
1 cup plain flour
1 tspn fine white salt (not rock salt)
½ tspn baking powder
2 tbspns coconut oil (or sunflower oil)
1½ cups hot water; and additional as needed
for the fish stock
2l water
All of the heads, shells and tails from the shrimp/prawns
Approx. 500g fish off-cuts
1 fresh lime
1 tspn dried parsley
1 tspn whole cloves
for the accompaniments
Approx. 100ml soured cream
½ an iceberg lettuce, shredded or sliced)
finely ground mild chilli flakes (optional)
fresh lime wedges
1 or 2 ripe avocados
Cooking Method
the fish stock
Clean and shell your shrimp (or large prawns). Place two litres of water in a large pot on a high heat. Add the shrimp shells, heads and tails and about 500g of fish off-cuts
Add the dried parsley and cloves. Grate the clean zest of the lime into the pot, then squeeze in all the juice. Bring to the boil and allow the pot to boil vigorously for about 3min. Cover and reduce the heat so that the liquid is simmering heartily for the first 30mins then reduce to a gentle simmer
Simmer for at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally. You want to end up with something like one litre of stock. If, after about two hours, the liquid is not notably reducing, uncover or only partially cover. You may need to slightly increase the heat to keep it at a healthy bubble. And, be warned: the fish aroma can be quite strong so open the windows or use the extractor fan (or cook it outdoors!)
When the amount of liquid has roughly halved, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Pass all of the liquid through a fine sieve and allow to cool. NB: all of the fish remnants are very good compost material
Your fish stock is now ready to use in the dish. The excess can be stored in the fridge or frozen once fully cooled for later use
the green pepper and shrimp chilli
Heat the oil on a low-medium heat in a large pan with a lid. Add the onions and green peppers. Sauté for a few mins, stirring to ensure they are coated in the oil
Sprinkle in the fajita spice mix. You can used store-bought or make your own using the recipe here. Add the fresh chillies and the garlic and stir in. Sauté gently until the onions begin to become soft
Increase to a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and the chipotle flakes and stir in. The mushrooms should release moisture into the pot within a few minutes. If they do not and ingredients begin to stick, pour in enough stock to cover the bottom of the pan and prevent sticking. Sauté, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms start to brown.
Add the baby sweetcorn and stir in ensuring it is coated in the juices
Almost immediately add the chopped tomatoes and their juice. Add the parsley, on top of the tomatoes, and allow to wilt slightly before stirring in. Cook for about 3mins, stirring fairly regularly.
Add approx. 400ml of the fish stock, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle in the pimentón dulce and stir thoroughly. Increase the heat until the pot begins to boil gently. Allow it to boil for 2 to 3mins, then cover and reduce the heat so that the pot simmers heartily. Cover and cook for 30mins, stirring occasionally. If the sauce has not notably reduced, uncover and simmer for another 10mins or so
Add the red kidney beans and the water from their tin, increasing to a medium-high heat. While this might appear a lot of liquid at first, you should notice that it rapidly begins to reduce and the sauce thicken. Cover and simmer heartily until the sauce is suitably thickened, stirring occasionally
As the sauce reaches near optimal consistency, add the raw shrimp. Stir in and allow the prawns to cook on the medium heat until perfectly cooked, which will only take a few minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick as the shrimps cook, add a little more fish stock, about 30ml at a time to keep the consistency optimal. As soon as the shrimp are cooked, remove from the heat and cover while you assemble your tacos and other ingredients
Either plate and take to table or serve with the warm tortillas, shredded lettuce, avocado pieces, sour cream and chilli flakes for diners to assemble their own tacos
the tacos (tortillas) — if making your own
Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and fold in with clean fingers. It will almost immediately "disappear" into the mix
Pour in the hot water and knead into a dough with clean hands for about 3mins. Pay attention to the texture: it should be a fairly cohesive ball with a "springy" texture. If it is too dry and begins to show cracks, add more water, a little at a time. Conversely, if it is too wet and sticks to your hands rather than coming away cleanly, add a bit more masa harina
Once kneaded into a cohesive mass, rest the dough for at least 10mins, covering the bowl with a damp clean tea towel
Next, pull away sections of dough and work into balls with the palms of your hands. The size of the dough ball will define the size of your tortilla, so there aren't really fixed rules. I tend to make dough balls that are roughly the size of golf balls.
Using two clean plastic pastry sheets (or grease proof paper, at a pinch) place the dough ball at the centre of one sheet and cover with the other. Using a rolling pin, push down firmly on the centre of the ball, first rolling out in one direction, then in the cross direction, then expanding to multiple directions to keep a roughly round shape; pretty much the same as rolling out pastry for a pie lid. Lay the rolled out tortillas on a plate with sheets of grease-proof paper between them to prevent sticking. Repeat until you have rolled out all of the dough or merely as many tortillas as you want
Cooking them is very easy. Heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, cook each tortilla in the dry pan, flipping once; about 50 to 60sec per side (less if cooking in a pan on a hot barbecue). If they begin to "blister" or bubble up, that's actually a good sign. Keep warm in a very low oven in a deep serving dish covered with a damp tea towel to keep them moist and flexible
You can freeze the dough (balls) or the cooked tortillas for later use. In the case of the former, wrap tightly in cling film to prevent ice crystals forming on the dough and ensure it is fully defrosted before rolling out and cooking. In the case of the latter, reheat in the oven with a small oven-proof bowl of water to prevent drying out
Alternatives
This dish is by default pescatarian. But, it is easily turned into a delicious vegan of vegetarian version: simply use vegetable stock and leave out the shrimp. And, of course, forego the sour cream, perhaps opting for a fresh salsa instead.
For carnivores, you can make the veggie version (or use chicken stock) then add thin slices of chargrilled steak instead of shrimp. This makes it a great barbecue dish and not only for the meat eaters: cook the vegan version then add chargrilled shrimp, steak or slices of aubergine to individual tacos according to dietary preferences.
Pairings
Needless to say, the first time I had this dish, it was with cold Mexican beer, which was perfect. And, that usually is my go-to choice with this dish. Nor, indeed, should one underestimate how well an iced cola drink with a slice of lime works with the flavours.
But, if you prefer wine, this is another of those dishes that is "colour agnostic". The seafood and tangy elements work well with the right rosés and white wines. On the other hand, the intensity of the spicy flavours match very well with the right red wines.
I can't really remember many specific wines, but I can remember general observations. The rosés with which I liked it most were all rosado wines from Navarra. On the white front, somehow (Australian) Chardonnays—not a grape I favour too frequently—have always been the wild card that worked better than more obvious contenders. And, on the red front, definitely keep it lighter; pinot noir, pinotage or primitivo. Though, the red wine with which I liked it most was a Carlo Revello & Figli Langhe Nebbiolo. Conversely with reds, what really doesn't work are full-bodied wines and/or those that have a strong oaky, woody character. They basically just cancel out the smoky flavours in the dish and bulldoze over the shrimp.
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