Mexicana!: For the Love of Tacos, Nachos and All Things Fiesta

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FRESH CHILLIES (GREEN AND RED):

Whatever colour they are, chillies can vary dramatically in heat. Slice a piece off the end of a chilli before using and lightly dab on your bottom lip to test its heat. Always make sure you follow the instructions in a recipe as to whether to keep them seeded or deseeded, as this will affect the level of heat.

JALAPEÑO CHILLIES:

Widely available, the jalapeño is a mild Latin American chilli pepper. With a fruity flavour, it’s great pickled (here (#u33552d5d-12d1-51fe-8898-5d83d3c658e5)) or sliced and scattered over tacos.

MEXICAN CREMA:

Crema is a dairy product that is only available in Mexico. For the recipes here, instructions are given for making your own version by combining soured cream and good-quality mayonnaise. It’s delicious with chipotle paste swirled through it and served with tacos.

QUESO FRESCO:

A mild creamy cheese not dissimilar from a mild soft goat’s cheese. Try it crumbled on charred corn on the cob (here (#ubac628c4-e26a-5659-b53f-f7c6cb1e100c)). Available online.

SOURED CREAM:

A key ingredient in many nacho dishes and a refreshing coolant for hot chilli-based dishes. Try to use the full-fat variety – it’s much creamier and tastier!

WHITE ONIONS:

Milder than the common yellow onion, with a pale flesh and white papery exterior, these are easier to eat raw and work well as a garnish or thinly sliced and tossed into a salad.

HOW TO SERVE THE RECIPES

NACHOS

The serving quantities for these recipes depend entirely on how you fancy eating them! Where ‘Serves 4–6’ is specified, this indicates that the recipe will serve four hungry people as a starter or six as a sharing snack, unless otherwise stated. Where ‘Serves 2–4’ is given, this means the recipe will serve two as a starter or four as a snack to share. Recipes serving four indicate smaller portions, hence would work well as a starter. If you want to serve any of these recipes as a main dish, they would be best combined with a taco and a snack recipe as part of a sharing table.

TACOS

The choice is yours on how to serve these tacos. The taco itself is simply a vehicle for layering exciting flavours. What’s lovely is to pile the toppings into bowls, keep the tortillas warm on a plate and let your guests build their own tacos. That way, those who prefer them spicier, meatier or more vegetal are free to choose to their own taste! Alternatively, you can assemble the tacos and take them to the table. Make sure you have a good supply of paper napkins at hand; tacos have a fatal tendency to eject some of their delicious fillings straight onto your brand new white blouse!

Most of the tacos in this book serve 4–6 people, six as a starter (i.e. two tacos each) or four as a main (three tacos each). If you serve the tacos as a main, you might want to add a nacho recipe or a Mexicana snack or two. The recipes that just serve four are intended solely as a main dish.

A GOOD COMBINATION OF DISHES FOR SIX PEOPLE MIGHT BE:

• ULTIMATE CLASSIC NACHOS

• PORK CARNITAS WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA

• FIERY HABANERO CHICKEN WINGS

• CHARRED FRUIT WITH POMEGRANATE AND VANILLA MASCARPONE OR CHURROS

• CLASSIC MARGARITA

The idea of this book is to combine dishes to your liking, and create a fun sharing table of Mexicana flavours. So get mixing and matching!

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HOMEMADE SOFT CORN TORTILLAS

Making a corn tortilla can be a little tricky to master at first, but once you get into the swing of things you’ll be churning them out in no time. Masa harina, a fine flour made from corn (maize), is essential to this recipe. It’s available online and in specialist food shops. A good tip is to keep the flour in the freezer once opened, as it goes bad pretty quickly. It’s also easier to get a better-shaped tortilla if you use a tortilla press, which you can easily order online.

MAKES 12 X 15CM (6IN) TORTILLAS

PREP: 15 MINUTES, PLUS RESTING

COOK: 15 MINUTES

220g (7½oz/1¾ cups) masa harina flour

½ tsp fine salt

260–270ml (9–9½fl oz/generous 1 cup) warm water

You may need a tortilla press (optional)

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in 260ml (9fl oz/1 cup) of the warm water. Combine with a wooden spoon; you should be left with a soft dough that is easy to handle and not too sticky – add more water if it feels dry. Knead briefly until the dough is smooth and easy to handle. Place in a bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes in a warm spot.

2. Divide the dough into 12 even-sized pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Cut a plastic sandwich bag in half to create two square sheets. Place a dough ball between the plastic sheets and press in a tortilla press, or roll with a rolling pin, into a round about 15cm (6in) in diameter. If you’re using a tortilla press, you may need to turn the tortilla and re-press several times to obtain the desired size. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Set the tortillas aside in a stack, separating each one with a piece of baking parchment to stop them sticking to each other.

3. Heat a heavy-based frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Cook the tortillas one at a time for around 30 seconds on each side or until beginning to brown slightly. Stack the tortillas up and cover with foil; this will help them to keep warm and soft until ready to use. If not eating the tortillas immediately, keep them wrapped in foil and store in an airtight container for up to 24 hours, then reheat on both sides in a small dry frying pan.