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Mexicana!: For the Love of Tacos, Nachos and All Things Fiesta
Esther Clark
Over 70 tasty taco and moreish nacho recipes to indulge your cravings and bring the spirit of Mexicana into your home!Bring the spirit of Mexicana into your home with over 70 tasty taco and moreish nacho recipes to feed your fiesta cravings!Indulge in a bowl (or two) of nachos, make every day taco Tuesday, eat tostada for breakfast, start every meal with a margarita, and always use fingers!So, invest in a healthy supply of tortillas (and maybe a bottle of tequila) and solve all your dinner dilemmas with the only question worth asking: Tacos or Nachos? We recommend both.iSalud!
COPYRIGHT (#ulink_9f50a961-22b0-5afe-a68e-d688df4d9012)
HarperCollinsPublishers
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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2018
FIRST EDITION
Photographs © Faith Mason 2018
Cover design by James Empringham © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018
Food Stylist: Esther Clark
Prop Stylist: Alex Breeze
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
Esther Clark asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
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Source ISBN: 9780008301293
Ebook Edition © August 2018 ISBN: 9780008301606
Version 2018-07-16
CONTENTS
COVER (#ubede0aa1-c7d2-5473-a435-c82b80697ec8)
TITLE PAGE (#u27a33702-c5bf-57e2-9937-f96e3ef2603f)
COPYRIGHT (#ulink_a8ef1ed2-5b05-5647-956d-f03d1f20c75a)
INTRODUCTION (#ulink_44fdbdf4-d1f4-5f2e-9cac-c7c42295db6f)
TACOS (#ulink_2969e730-cecc-54c4-a769-fb080eec9e52)
NACHOS
SNACKS
SALSAS AND PICKLES
SWEET THINGS
DRINKS
INDEX OF SEARCHABLE TERMS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
INTRODUCTION (#ulink_c729f626-3967-50f1-b4b4-c9e5db77e91e)
It’s fair to say that, until recently, thoughts of Mexican food tended to conjure up a bowl of salty shop-bought tortilla chips piled up with a few under-seasoned, mediocre toppings, or a slightly sad, soggy takeaway burrito. But help is at hand! In the following pages, such uninspiring stereotypes are turned on their head. Out with the bland and stodgy and in with vibrant, spicy flavours and delicious fresh textures: soft homemade tacos filled with slow-cooked marinated pork shoulder or crispy squid and chipotle aioli (here (#u3c494c26-680e-5c94-bd3f-20b291aba532) and here (#u2d75d408-d4db-5016-aeba-a085997e9505)); jugs of margarita spiked with seasonal fruit flavours (here (#u85ac2d1c-f405-571e-82e4-15bebc639999)); and thick wedges of sweet tres leches cake topped with boozy coconut rum cream (here (#u45caa42e-fdca-5a62-bea5-aa1beff325bd)).
Mexicana is ideal for sharing. So, seat yourself comfortably, push up your sleeves and get stuck in: salsas for dipping into, nachos for pulling apart and tacos to fill and roll up in a delicious bundle. There is a time and a place for meticulously planned dinner parties, with individual courses served one after another. But this isn’t it! When you’re feeling a little more casual, there’s something to be said for piling food into bowls and onto big sharing platters, laying the table with a funky cloth, filling glasses with ice-cold margaritas, passing round the napkins and digging in while catching up with friends and family. There are no rules for how to serve these dishes, so you can mix and match to suit everyone’s taste. Invite friends round after a drink at the pub for a shared feast; dig into Breakfast Tacos (#ub46e1615-9996-5439-b582-213b9d4c16bf) with your housemates after a heavy night out; or simply share a bowl of nachos with your partner on a cosy Saturday evening in. In Mexicana! there are recipes for the Mexican purist and twists on more traditional dishes but, either way, these colourful, well-balanced recipes, packed with delicious ingredients, are here to ignite your inner fiesta!
WHAT TO KEEP IN YOUR STORE CUPBOARD
When venturing into Mexicana a number of ingredients are essential for creating those iconic Mexican flavours. Some are easily obtainable from major supermarkets such as Waitrose or Sainsbury’s. Others may require a little more digging to track them down. Online stores such as Sous Chef, Mexgrocer and Amazon stock a wide range of exciting Mexican produce.
KEY MEXICAN DRIED CHILLIES
The chilli pepper lies at the heart of many a Mexican dish. Dried Mexican chillies each have their own distinctive character, with varying levels of heat, and each works well in different dishes. Here are a few examples of some good chillies to keep stored in jars in your pantry or kitchen cupboard.
ANCHO:
The ancho is large, dark and prune-like in appearance. Mild heat-wise, with fruity yet bitter notes, it works well in tomato-based dishes.
CHILE DE ÁRBOL:
Long and spindly in appearance, this chilli is grassy in flavour and medium in heat. Try sprinkled on top of a rich Mexican Hot Chocolate (#uf3ab3db5-2897-5e68-a8b3-bdb46e0e2bd8) or rehydrated in boiling water and stirred through a stew.
CHIPOTLE:
Essentially a fresh jalapeño that has been smoked and dried. Chipotles are deep red in colour and rich and intensely smoky in flavour and aroma. Perfect with dark meat and in salsas. A good staple dried chilli to have in your store cupboard.
HABANERO:
The fieriest of Mexican chillies grown in Latin America, with a shrivelled exterior and fruity yet deeply peppery scent. Be sparing with these fire crackers and rehydrate in boiling water before using. It’s best to use latex gloves when handling them – and avoid all contact with the eyes!
STORE-CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS
AGAVE NECTAR/SYRUP:
A natural sweetener in liquid form. Use to add sweetness when mixing margaritas (here (#u85ac2d1c-f405-571e-82e4-15bebc639999)).
AVOCADO OIL:
A yellowish-green oil, rich in flavour, this is usually to be found with olive oil at your local supermarket. It is lovely drizzled on guacamole (#ub17d96df-8eed-5d5f-b0d6-7b5ba68bb355) or whisked into dressings.
CANNED BLACK BEANS:
Easy to find at your local corner shop, black beans play a key role in many Mexican recipes. Simply stir into a dish at the end or mash with olive oil and dollop on nachos (here (#u166fc6db-3701-516d-a0d1-3dc3e7c5b30d)).
CANNED REFRIED BEANS:
Creamy smashed beans such as pinto or black beans. Buy the best-quality varieties as it makes all the difference. Trying adding them to a crisp torta (a Mexican toasted sandwich – here (#u72782e14-db0d-54bc-a80d-f54ee961c309)).
CANNED TOMATILLOS:
Green fruits that look similar to tomatoes but are smaller in size. You can buy cans of these online. Try whizzing them into a moreish bowl of Green Tomatillo Salsa (#ub6df3a00-4528-5ae9-a9f8-36645bf49dae).
CHILLI FLAKES:
Always have a jar of these knocking around in your cupboard. Dark, speckled chipotle chilli flakes are perfect for adding that barbecue flavour to dishes. Mash into softened butter and spread on griddled corn on the cob or charred steak.
CHILLI POWDER:
Finely ground chilli powder, in different strengths, is a key addition to your spice shelf. Try chilli powders based on specific varieties of chilli, such as ancho or de árbol, to vary the flavour.
CHIPOTLE CHILLI PASTE:
A nifty small jar of rich, intense chilli paste made with chipotle peppers. Easy to get hold of from most supermarkets and perfect swirled through many dishes.
CHIPOTLES IN ADOBO:
A small can of chipotles in adobo can pep up even the blandest of dishes. Plump chipotle chillies are soaked in a rich tomato sauce with a vinegary aftertaste. Try blitzing them and stirring through aioli (here (#ua13087a1-bb9f-5bf2-9f7e-b59df8d544de)) or adding to homemade ketchup.
CHOLULA CHILLI SAUCE:
A zingy Mexican condiment made with de árbol and piquin peppers. Not too hot, it’s delicious splashed onto tacos before serving.
CORNMEAL/POLENTA:
Coarse flour made from dried maize. Use it to sprinkle on empanadas (here (#u2ff49b1d-3a03-5358-8c7a-e42a5feb9c13)) or to make moist cornbread (here (#u7ef45db4-70e7-5e4e-b5f8-b7019abc6cc7)). You’ll find this in the world-food section of your supermarket, usually with the Caribbean food.
DRIED HIBISCUS FLOWERS:
Dark pink dried blooms, a bit like curled-up small sea creatures in appearance, these are hugely popular in Mexico. The flowers aren’t actually eaten, but soaked in boiling water to make a fruity tea (here (#u1ca4e552-639e-532d-8044-45e0dacf7e0f)). Hibiscus has a rich berry flavour, not unlike blackcurrant or cranberry. Delicious for flavouring ice lollies (popsicles) (here (#u1a71fbea-d998-5865-b6ed-0adcd4a1ef21)).
MASA HARINA FLOUR:
A fine, gluten-free flour for making your own tacos from scratch (here (#u5139c39a-45d0-5667-b967-ae8b97463813)). With a short shelf life, the flour, made from corn (maize), is best kept in the freezer once the packet has been opened.
MEXICAN OREGANO:
Distinctively different in flavour from the dull-smelling pots of the standard dried herb you find on the supermarket shelf, Mexican oregano has a pungent citrus smell and flavour. Use along with dried chilli. You can find this online at Sous Chef.
PICKLED JALAPEÑOS:
Sold in jars, these consist of fresh green jalapeños that have usually been pickled in a combo of white wine vinegar, sugar, salt and various aromatics. Make your own for a more complex flavour (here (#u33552d5d-12d1-51fe-8898-5d83d3c658e5)).
TORTILLAS
When buying tortillas made from either corn (maize) or wheat there are several to choose from. The recipes in this book specify standard soft corn tortillas, but they would work with the other varieties of tortillas too. Just make sure you stick to the size specified in each recipe.
BLUE CORN TORTILLAS:
Less easy to source than the other varieties, these tortillas are greyish-blue in colour and have a richer, nuttier flavour. Lovely with fish and hot chilli.
FLOUR TORTILLAS:
Larger than the other tortillas and available in all supermarkets, these are only really used for quesadillas or burritos.
SOFT CORN TORTILLAS:
Sweetish in flavour and easy to pick up from your local corner shop or supermarket, soft corn tortillas are generally made with yellow corn flour. You can buy them in 20cm (8in) and 15cm (6in) sizes. They also work well deep-fried or baked for making into tortilla chips (here (#u8419eddf-605a-5035-85e8-889f44579e4d)).
WHITE CORN TORTILLAS:
The most traditional type of tortilla. You can buy these online and they usually come in the classic 15cm (6in) size. Lighter in colour and milder in flavour, these are perfect with most taco recipes.
TORTILLA CHIPS
BLUE CORN TORTILLA CHIPS:
Dark blue and thicker in texture than standard corn (maize) tortilla chips, as well as sweeter and subtler in flavour, these are perfect for dipping into a pot of homemade guacamole (#ub17d96df-8eed-5d5f-b0d6-7b5ba68bb355) or Pico de Gallo Salsa (#u8a8e4246-95d7-5384-ba83-764be1788a48).
CANTINA CHIPS:
These are made in the traditional way from pressed white corn tortillas, creating a more delicate tortilla chip. Seriously worth looking around the supermarket for these guys. They are available in various brands, including Manomasa.
CORN TORTILLA CHIPS:
The most common type of tortilla chip, these are a creamy yellow in colour and often come sprinkled with salt.
FRESH PRODUCE
BUTTERMILK:
Essentially a cultured milk, this is thin and yoghurt-like in consistency with a slightly sour, buttery taste. Use for marinating fried chicken (here (#u83778ab5-e22b-54b1-bfe8-8faa2a81d167)) or for creamy dressings.
