Fried Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro-Chipotle Sauce

I understand why I didn't start eating sushi until I was in my 20s. The same can be said for a lot of ethnic - particularly Middle Eastern - cuisines. I wasn't much of a wine drinker until I was in my late 20s, but I don't think that's unusual.

But, as I have mentioned before, it blows my mind that I never tried fried seafood tacos until I was halfway through my 20s. I loved fried seafood and I loved tacos since I was a kid; why I never tried them combined is incomprehensible.

I'm more than making up for it now, however. And yesterday - a drizzling day, though not at all cold - I was in the mood for some fried seafood. I considered making fish & chips but then had another thought: fried shrimp tacos. I haven't gotten to eat at Del Taco in half a year - perhaps the quick-service place I miss most behind the trinity of Taco Lita, In-N-Out and Zankou - and I've looked longingly more than once at pictures of shrimp tacos on their website.

I assembled all the ingredients I needed to make a sauce that I have been throwing together for many years now. I don't remember where I got the original idea but given that it contains chipotle and cilantro, I'm sure it's a variation on something I saw Bobby Flay make.

I started with two chipotle peppers in the Cuisinart Mini Prep. If I'm making this as a dipping sauce, I use three for some extra heat, but since this was only going to be a part of the tacos, I went mild. Then I added roasted garlic vinegar (roughly one-third of a cup) and olive oil (maybe half a cup), a teaspoon of honey for some thickness and sweetness, a splash of Trappey's hot sauce, and a handful of cilantro.

It's one of the most delicious sauces I have ever eaten. I can eat it with a spoon and indeed I always take a couple of spoonfuls as soon as it's made. It goes great with grilled flank steak or chicken, it's prefect for dipping, and I had a hunch it would be good with shrimp tacos. The sauce tastes even better when the flavors have melded together, so I made it a few hours in advance and placed it in the fridge.

I wasn't in the mood to make a big mess like I did last week with my hand-battered shrimp, so I picked up a box of SeaPak popcorn shrimp. While the oil was heating for me to pan-fry them (which only takes about 90 seconds on each side), I put out the condiments:

The cilantro-chipotle sauce, some thinly-sliced cabbage, an ear of corn that I had grilled, and a small jar of pickled jalapenos.

The cabbage went on first to provide a cool, crispy base.

Then a few of the hot and crispy popcorn shrimp, just out of the oil.

A scattering of the grilled corn was next.

And then a generous amount of the sauce.

Finally, for some extra zip, I added a few pickled jalapenos.

I only ate three of these... because I ran out of shrimp. But I could have eaten six or seven. They were some of the best seafood tacos I have ever made. One day I will make these again, including those handmade shrimp (and one more idea I have) and they should be perfect.