Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Shrimp Jicama Tacos with Mango Pico De Gallo

A couple of years ago we ate at Peska during Houston Restaurant Weeks. One of the appetizers featured was shrimp jicama tacos. I really enjoyed this dish so we decided to recreate it at home. It's super easy to make and cost efficient. If you would like to make some of these yummy tacos please continue reading.

Ingredients:
15 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium jicama, sliced into sheets like tortillas
***alternatively, you could buy the sliced jicama prepackaged (I saw some at HEB)
1 medium mango, diced (I prefer yellow Alphonso mango)
1 small Roma tomato, diced
1/4 yellow onion, diced
Cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime
Cumin
Salt
Black pepper
Cajun season or old bay
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of paprika
Salsa (optional)

Step 1:
Peel and devein the shrimp. I bought large ez peel shrimp for convenience. Marinate with 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning like Tony Chachere's or old bay, black pepper, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of paprika. Set aside.

Step 2:
If you bought prepackaged sliced jicama, then skip to step 3. Peel jicama carefully. If you have a mandoline slicer this will be a breeze. If not, you will need to slice the jicama in thin, even sheets. Set aside.

Step 3:
Prepare the ingredients for the mango pico. Peel and dice the mango. Cut the tomato and throw away the seed/core and dice. Dice the onions and chop the cilantro. Put them in a bowl a d squeeze half a lime (if you like it more tangy, use a whole lime). Add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix and taste. Set aside.

Step 4:
You may either grill the shrimp or pan sear them. I seared them in a hot pan for about 2 minutes each side. Once you're done cooking the shrimp, you're ready to assemble. I used large shrimp and a medium sized jicama so 1 shrimp per jicama taco. If you use smaller shrimp, you will need to double (2 per taco). You can see in the picture below, one of my jicama tacos actually has 2 smaller shrimp.

Top your tacos with the mango pico, salsa or hot sauce of your choice and they're ready to devour. Good luck and enjoy!