Fire truck or fire engine… that, my friend, is the question! (Don’t worry; I’m not going to quit my day job to become a poet!) If you are familiar with the fire service you know that there is a difference between a truck and an engine. But if you are with the majority, you may have never realized that they are two completely different apparatuses and perform completely different functions.
The major difference between a truck and an engine is that a truck has ladders and tools and an engine has hose and water. That’s it! But the functions these apparatuses and crews perform also differs. Things might vary a bit between fire departments. Here in Seattle at a structure fire, the engine and its crew is responsible for getting a water supply from a hydrant, laying hose, finding the seat of the fire, and putting water on that fire. The truck is responsible for search and rescue and ventilation. Ventilation could mean horizontal with P.P.V. (positive pressure ventilation) using a fan, or vertical ventilation which entails laddering the roof and cutting ventilation holes with chain saws. Trucks in Seattle also carry hydraulic tools for auto extrication, ropes and equipment for high angle rescue, and myriad other tools and gadgets to try and handle whatever comes our way. Thus a truck is like a big tool box with a 100 foot aerial on top. The truck and the engine are the only two fire apparatuses we use here in Seattle outside of our specialty teams. There are other types of fire apparatuses, like the Quint, which is a combination engine and truck that carries water, hose, an aerial, etc. But I don’t have space here to deal with all the varieties. Whatever the type of apparatus the department uses in your neighborhood, you can be sure that a lot of time and energy went into designing and selecting just the right rig to get the job done for you in a professional and timely fashion!
My crew really enjoys this recipe. I hope yours will too!
Suey’s Chipotle Shrimp Tacos
with Mango-Jicama Slaw and Agave Sauce
By Michael “Suey” Sulak, Seattle Fire Department, Station 8, Ladder 6
Resources:
For Mango-Jicama Slaw:
1 lb. package shredded cabbage slaw mix
1 large red bell pepper, julienned
2 large mangoes, peeled, seeded and julienned
1 small jicama, julienned
1 small red onion, sliced thin
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Tabasco® Brand Habanero Pepper Sauce
For Shrimp:
4 lbs. large raw shrimp (31 to 40 count or larger), peeled, deveined, tails removed
5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (add more to taste for more heat)
¼ cup lime juice
2 teaspoons salt
24 corn tortillas
½ lb. bacon, diced
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (garnish)
6 limes cut into wedges (garnish)
For Agave Sauce:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 cup raw agave nectar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Tactics:
For Mango-Jicama Slaw:
In a large mixing bowl combine the slaw mix, red bell pepper, jicama, red onion, mangos and cilantro and toss. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, agave nectar, vinegar, Tabasco® Brand Habanero Pepper Sauce, salt and pepper. Pour over the slaw mixture and toss again to coat well. Macerate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
For Shrimp:
Preheat oven to 150°F. Place the shrimp into a large Ziploc bag. Use a food processor to mince the chipotle peppers in adobo. Add the lime juice and salt and give it a few more pulses to combine. Now pour this mixture over the shrimp in the bag, mix well, seal and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat each tortilla in an ungreased skillet over medium high heat for about 15 seconds on each side. Wrap in foil and keep warm in preheated oven.
Fry the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until crisp. Add the onions and cook until onions become translucent. Add the shrimp and chipotle peppers and cook until the shrimp become translucent. Transfer contents of skillet to a large serving platter and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
For Agave Sauce:
Place the ground cumin into a small frying pan over medium high heat and toast the cumin until fragrant, about a minute. Add the fresh lime juice, agave nectar, canola oil and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer to reduce the sauce by half – about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow sauce to come to room temperature.
Construction:
Remove the tortillas from the oven and lay out on their own serving platter. Take a corn tortilla and place down some of the chipotle shrimp followed by a tablespoon of the agave sauce, then some jalapeno slaw. Squeeze a lime over the top and dig in! Makes 8 servings.
