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Super Bowl Sunday is coming up, and tacos are always a great game day snack. Years ago, I won the $5,000 grand prize with my "Tackling Tater Tacos" in an Idaho Potato Tailgate contest. I needed to create a dish where potatoes could be the star, so I knew I couldn't add too much meat. Aside from the crispy, spiced potatoes, I decided to take a little chorizo, which has a lot of flavor, and use it to season the crema. The slaw uses jicama in place of the more traditional cabbage, and adds a slightly sweet crunch. If you have never had jicama, it is comparable to water chestnuts in flavor and texture. I know there may be skeptics out there, but I once made another version of this jicama slaw for a shrimp taco recipe and won a trip to Las Vegas and three nights at the Wynn, so I think it is worth a try!
Tackling Tater Tacos
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 large Idaho potatoes, washed & diced
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
Several pinches salt and black pepper, divided
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
3 ounces bulk chorizo
1 cup Mexican crema or thinned sour cream
1 medium jicama, peeled and julienned
1 cup sliced baby bell pepper rings
2 minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Juice of two limes
1 tablespoon honey
6 corn tortillas, warmed
3/4 Cup crumbled queso fresco
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until potatoes are golden brown. Add a splash of water if necessary. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano, and another pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until potatoes are crispy around the edges. In a small skillet over medium high heat, cook the chorizo, crumbling it as finely as possible. Drain chorizo then allow it to cool completely. Stir the cooled chorizo into the crema. In a small bowl combine the jicama and bell pepper rings to make the slaw. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chipotle peppers, lime juice, and honey. Toss to coat. Top each tortilla with the potato mixture followed by the slaw. Add a spoonful of the chorizo crema and sprinkle with queso fresco and cilantro.
