I call these beauties, “pocos”, or po-boy tacos.  I went to local restaurant here in Columbus a couple weeks ago called, The Walrus, and I was completely and utterly inspired.  I ordered the shrimp po-boy and an LED light bulb went off in my head.  I said to myself, “these must be taco-fied”, and taco-fied they were.   I wanted to keep them simple yet packed with mouthwatering flavor.  The cornmeal crust on the shrimp adds such an amazing texture and crunch.  Some iceberg lettuce for crisp freshness which is all then delicately laid over a fat spoonful of that remoulade.  Listen.  That remoulade is crazy good.  Sweet.  Smokey.  Spicy.  Why do all of the best tastes start with “s”?  Anyways, it is a creamy, lemony, tangy mixture of yummy goodness that you need in your life.  It would make a bomb dressing for some coleslaw.  Now alllllll of this gets topped with a sweet and spicy jalapeño glaze.  I mean come on, could it get any better than this?  The answer is no.  I peaked in life with these tacos and I’m not mad about it.

Photography by Sophie Marie Creative

Ingredients

• 1/2 small head iceberg lettuce; thinly sliced
• Tortillas
• Oil for frying
• Queso fresco and cilantro for garnish (optional)

Shrimp

• 1 pound large or jumbo shrimp; peeled and deveined
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup corn meal
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Remoulade

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 lemon; juiced
• 1 tbsp fresh chives; finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic; finely minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro; roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon capers; roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (or more if you want it spicier

Glaze

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 jalapeños; finely chopped
• 1-3 tablespoons cornstarch
• Salt

Method

1. Add all of the remoulade ingredients together and whisk until well combined.  Refrigerate before serving.
2. For the glaze, add the vinegar, 1 cup of water, and sugar to a small sauce pot.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  If you don’t like it spicy, add the jalapeños in now with the liquid and sugar.  Reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.  Combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water (I used 2 tablespoons of cornstarch you can use more or less depending on how thick you want the glaze to be).  Whisk the cornstarch with water until totally combined then whisk it in to the sauce pot with the rest of the glaze.  It should begin to thicken immediately.  When it has reached your desired consistency, add in the jalapeños and turn off the heat.  Keep warm until serving.
3. Add oil to a large pot, preferably a dutch oven, about 1/3 of the way full.  Begin heating over medium high heat until it reaches 350 degrees.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk until well combined.  Season with some salt and pepper.  In a separate larger bowl, combine the flour, corn meal, spices, salt and pepper.  This is your dredging station.  Start by putting 2-3 shrimp in the buttermilk mixture so each shrimp is submerged.  Remove from the liquid, draining off any excess, and put the shrimp into the dry mixture.  With a dry hand, push some of the dry mixture over the shrimp then press to make sure the shrimp are completely covered.  Shake off any excess of the dry mixture, then place them on a baking rack.  Repeat until all of the shrimp have gone through the dredge.  Just before frying, put the shrimp back in the dry mixture only, and again shake off any excess.  Fry the shrimp in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pot and bring down the oil temperature.  This should take 2-4 minutes or until the shrimp are golden brown and cooked through but still juicy.  Remove the shrimp from the oil onto a baking rack or paper towel to drain any excess oil.  Repeat until all of the shrimp have been fried.
5. Assemble the tacos with the remoulade, lettuce, and shrimp.  Then spoon over some of the glaze on each taco and top with some queso fresco and cilantro if your heart so desires (I recommend that your heart so desires).