Fried Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

I'm officially declaring it SUMMER. I mean, I know it's only 105 degrees outside, but my craving for fried seafood topped with fruit salsas every other day is usually an indicator. 

This is my favorite fish taco. It's crunchy, sweet, spicy, and refreshing. I could eat half a dozen of them, but a cup a of cilanto-lime (thanks Ms. Stewart) rice usually stops me from doing so. By the time summer ends, it's very likely that I would have eaten 25 of them. 

Now I wish I could I say this is a mess-free recipe, but it's just not. You're gonna need hot oil, a pan for dredging, a pan for the egg-milk mixture, and a pan for the breading. But hey, at least you can make the pineapple ahead of time! It's definitely worth it though, believe me. 

Ingredients for 2

• 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled
• 6 corn tortillas (or flour)
• 1 Serrano pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped pineapple, canned or fresh
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Oil for frying
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided in half
• Cayenne
• Onion powder
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons milk

In a small bowl, combine the pineapple, pepper, cilantro, red onion, and honey. Season with a bit of salt, cover, and refrigerate until use.

Prepare the oil for frying. I used a medium-sized saucepan, and filled it up about 3/4 of an inch and heated it on medium-high heat.

In a plate or pan, fill with 1/2 cup of flour. In another plate or pan, combine the egg and milk together. And in another plate or pan, fill with remaining flour, cornmeal, and seasonings. Set all three plates aside. 

Heat up and keep the tortillas warm. 

Dredge all the shrimp in the flour. Transfer half the shrimp to the egg-mixture. Coat thoroughly and allow excess mixture to drip off before transferring to the cornmeal mixture and coating thoroughly. 

Fry the shrimp for a 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-lined plate. Continue with the remaining shrimp. 

Assemble the tacos immediately. Top with avocado slices and salsa.