KitchenWise: Crispy Shrimp Tacos are baked, not fried
From taco trucks to Mexican restaurants, tacos are just about everywhere these days. And why not? A taco is exactly as handy, versatile and filling as a sandwich, and crunchy to boot. Lots of folks dream of making these fried corn tortillas at home, but some pull up short at the prospect of having to deep-fry them. The solution? Don't fry them. Baking will bring tacos to crispy perfection and allow you to shape them into shells in the process.
That said, I discovered while developing this recipe for Crispy Shrimp Tacos with Coleslaw and Chipotle Cream that not all corn tortillas are created equal. Some are thickish and some are thin-ish. Some are drier and some are moister. Given that there's no way of predicting these qualities in the brands you buy at the store, you just need to pay attention to the tortillas as they bake and adjust accordingly. Some brands will require more time than others to become crispy.
Before being baked, the tortillas need to be steamed a bit so they don't crack when you shape them. Then you brush them very lightly on both sides with oil (or with vegetable oil spray, if you prefer), drape them directly over a bar of the oven rack and bake them until crispy. (See recipe for details.)
I recommend baking them in two batches of four tortillas each because when you open the oven to shape them, the oven temperature drops. If you're shaping all eight at once, the temperature will drop a lot and the tortillas will take forever to crisp.
The shells can be made ahead and parked in a bowl at room temperature. Then you can turn to the preparation of whichever fillings you want. (Here I propose coleslaw, grilled shrimp and chipotle cream.) When the dinner bell chimes, just set out all the fixings and let people dig in for themselves.
• Sara Moulton is host of public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals." She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including "Cooking Live." Her latest cookbook is "HomeCooking 101."