At the Teacher’s Table: shrimp tacos with Mrs. Walsh

Welcome back to this month’s issue of “At the Teacher’s Table!” This issue features Mrs. Kelly Walsh, AP US History and my AP Macroeconomics teacher. I wanted to cook for her before she went on maternity leave: congrats to her! (I hope you’re doing well while you’re reading this, Mrs. Walsh!)

She let me know that her favorite food is fish tacos and cautioned me that she can only eat gluten-free foods. 

Let’s have a quick history lesson about tacos! Tacos come from Indigenous peoples in Central Mexico, before the Spanish colonized the Americas in the 1500s. Maize, known to us as corn, was a sacred crop, and people made soft, hand-sized tortillas with it. Corn tortillas were used to scoop various foods such as fish, beans, or chili peppers. After the Spanish colonized Mexico, they introduced new ingredients such as beef, chicken, cheese, and wheat. These foods transformed traditional Indigenous tacos, creating many variations of the dish. 

Nowadays, tacos are a staple Mexican street food. Each region of Mexico has developed taco specialties, like tacos de canasta, “basket tacos,” in Tlaxcala or tacos de pescado, “fish tacos,” in California, and many more.

Now, let’s get into the process of making shrimp tacos. I started off grocery shopping with my mom. We picked up fresh cilantro, limes, and corn tortillas from my local Mexican market. At first, I was worried about finding a gluten-free tortilla, but after going shopping, I realized that corn tortillas are actually gluten-free, making them a great alternative for any gluten-free readers out there.

First, I focused on making the pico de gallo by dicing up the multicolored cherry tomatoes and chopping up cilantro leaves to add to the tomato mixture. I squeezed a splash of lime juice into the pico de gallo, and then I added a bit of sugar to neutralize the acidity from the tomatoes and lime. I also sliced onions and soaked them in water for about five minutes to get rid of the burning taste of raw onion.

Then, I moved on to the meat. I decided to use shrimp since they are Mrs. Walsh’s favorite type of fish tacos. I cut the shrimp into small pieces and seasoned them with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. After marinating, I heated the pan with a dash of oil and sautéed the shrimp until tender.

After that, I warmed up the tortillas on the stove burner’s open flame to get that authentic taco taste. I started by flipping the tortillas with tongs but eventually gained the courage to flip them with my hands. It was super fun!

The cooking process was now complete, and I carefully stored all the components into different containers to make a taco assembly line. (And yes, I apologize for not making guacamole. I unfortunately couldn’t bring avocado, because when they are out of the fridge for too long they oxidize and brown.)

I met up with Mrs. Walsh during lunch for the tasting. She was super sweet about the critique! She especially loved the pico de gallo, noting that the multicolored cherry tomatoes added a sweet and yummy flavor. She said that the tacos were “excellent.” Mrs. Walsh’s love for shrimp tacos combines her fondness for seafood with her childhood growing up in California, where Mexican food is plentiful. 

Her favorite memory of fish tacos involves her college study abroad in London. It had been over three or four months since she had eaten tacos, and she was craving fish tacos. She visited the Mexican embassy in London to satisfy her craving, and needless to say… they were “terrible!”

Although she thoroughly enjoyed my tacos, I definitely agree with her that my dish needed a little more flavor, because all the different components did render the shrimp a tad bland. Next time, I’ll challenge myself to add a kick of heat and overcome my spice demons! 

Thank you for reading, and I hope you look forward to our next issue! Thank you to Mrs. Walsh for participating.