Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Soft Tacos With Marinated Prawns And Beans With Lime Dressing

Chef: Michael Van De Elzen (host of the The Food Truck cooking show) as heard on Nine To Noon Tuesday 5 June 2012

Tags: beans, lime, prawns, Mexican, Latin American, tacos

These are really punchy, really flavoursome treats inspired by Jose’s tacos from Mexican Specialities. And they are fun to make. You could serve them as a starter for a dinner with friends or as a weekend lunch dish. If you don’t have or want to use prawns, use any other sort of fish, in the same marinade. You could even go the full hog and make your own tacos using masa flour — it’s even easier if you have a tortilla press.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

Marinated Prawns

• 32 prawns, peeled and deveined
• ½ onion, finely sliced
• ¼ teaspoon smoked chilli powder or smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• pinch salt

Beans with Lime Dressing

• juice of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• pinch salt
• 24 French or long beans, cut in half and blanched

Tacos

• 8 small soft tortillas
• ½ cup El Speciale Sauce
• cos lettuce leaves

Method

For the Prawns

Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss gently. Cover and place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Just before you’re ready to serve the tacos, cook prawns. Heat a heavy-based frying pan, add prawns and cook until charred on both sides.

For the Beans

Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

For the Tacos

Warm tortillas according to packet instructions.

Place 4 prawns on each tortilla with 1 tablespoon of El Speciale Sauce, a few cos leaves and 1–2 tablespoons of beans. Fold and serve.

If desired, sprinkle with microgreens and a squeeze of lime juice.

Stephen Morris’s wine match

Rieslings with just a fraction of sweetness, to cope with lime, honey and chilli.

Mondillo 2009 Riesling – Otago. A hint of fleshiness but still elegant. Some schist flint too. Lime but also tangerine and pink grapefruit. 7 g/l residual sugar so the citrus bite is nicely tempered.

Black Estate 2011 Riesling – Canterbury. A lovely grapey aroma, with some blossom and some minerality. 18 g/l residual sugar but ample acidity to hold it in tightly. Riesling fans will know what I mean when I say “it dances the tightrope”. Quivering riesling.