once upon a chef
FOR THE LIME CREMA – 1 cup sour cream – 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from 1 lime – Pinch salt FOR THE SHRIMP TACOS WITH CORN AND BACON – 4 slices (6 oz) thick-cut bacon, diced – 4 corn cobs, uncooked kernels removed – 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced – 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped – 2 lbs large (31/35) shrimp, peeled, de-veined, and tail removed, thawed if frozen – 1 teaspoon ground cumin – 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder – Salt – ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro – 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 1 lime – 12 small corn tortillas
I use large shrimp for this recipe, which you may find labeled 31 to 35 shrimp per pound. When cooked, they are a perfect size to pile into a tortilla. For the best results, use good quality thick-cut bacon; Wright or Smithfield are both good brands that are easy to find.
To begin, cut the kernels off of the corn cobs. The best way to do this is to this (without having the kernels fly all over the kitchen) is to invert a small bowl inside a larger bowl. Hold the cob upright on top of the inverted small bowl, with the flatter end of the cob down, and use a sharp knife to slice downward as close to the cob as possible.
Spoon the corn into a bowl and set aside. Add the shrimp, scallions, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to the skillet.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir to combine, then remove from the heat and cover to keep warm while you heat the tortillas and make the lime crema.
Simply stir together the sour cream, fresh lime juice and salt.
Warm the tortillas according to the package instructions. Place the tortillas on serving plates and top with the shrimp mixture and generous spoonfuls of the lime crema. Serve immediately with the rest of the crema on the side.