In collaboration with Eatable Popcorn I’ve created delicious recipes in which I highlight their popcorn. In this recipe I’ve featured Pop the Salt & Tequila ; popcorn with Añejo Tequila-infused caramel with lemon salt. Using the popcorn in the crust gives the shrimp a sweet and salty crunch that’s a match made in heaven!

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Ingredients

For the jalapeño cilantro sauce:

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• zest of 1 lime

• handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1/2 or 1 jalapeño (depends on how spicy you like it), seeds removed

• salt & pepper to taste

For the pickled red onions:

• 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 of one red onion, sliced

For the shrimp tacos:

• 300g of raw shrimps (size 36-45 Lb), thawed, shells removed

• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

• 1 cup of Pop the Salt & Tequila popcorn

• 1 egg

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1 cup flour

• 1 1/2 tsp of Mexican or cajun seasoning

• salt and pepper to taste

• oil for frying (I prefer grape seed oil)

• 10 small corn tortillas

• 2-3 ripe avocados, sliced

For the cabbage slaw:

• 1 1/2 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced

• 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced

• juice of 1 lime

• handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1:

Make the jalapeño cilantro sauce: put all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in fridge.

Step 2: 

For the pickled red onions: cut red onion in half and make thin slices. Set aside in a heat-proof bowl. Add sugar, water and vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil until the sugar has completely dissolved. Pour the liquid on top of red onion slices and the let the mixture cool at room temperature. Store in fridge afterwards.

Step 3:

Make cabbage slaw: thinly slice green cabbage and toss in a bowl with some of the jalapeño and cilantro sauce. Add juice from 1 lime and a handful of chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in fridge.

Step 4:

Popcorn shrimp: Remove the shell from thawed shrimp. Place shrimp in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pulse panko and popcorn in a food processor to break down the popcorn. It doesn’t have to be fine. Check out the picture below. Set aside in a bowl afterwards. Place flour and Mexican (cajun) spices together in another bowl. Mix buttermilk and egg together and season with salt and pepper.

Step 5:   

Heat the oil in a large frying pan on high. Pour enough oil in the pan so that it coats 1/8 of the sides. I recommend using grape seed oil because it has a high smoke point (resistance to heat) which means you avoid harmful free radicals. You can also use avocado oil, canola oil, sunflower oil or peanut oil.

Step 5:

Dip each shrimp into the flour first, then the egg mixture and finally into the panko/popcorn. Once oil is hot fry shrimp for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove with tongs and drain on paper towels.

Step 6:

Assembling the tacos: place cabbage slaw on each corn tortilla. Add shrimp and avocado slices. Top with thinly sliced red cabbage and pickled red onion. Garnish with cilantro leaves and popcorn. Serve with lime wedges and jalapeño cilantro sauce.