In Good Taste: Chilli
Making tortillas for a Mexican Feast. Photo: Fiona Feasey.
Mexican food is HOT! And seems to be sweeping the planet once again with a whole new wave of popularity. It’s a world of discovery experimenting with chillies other than the more common favourites, the habanero and cayenne.
So much of what wasn’t accessible before can now be delivered to your door within days if ordered via the internet, so a jar of chipotle in adobe is just a click or two away. Local Dave Heraud introduced me to chipotle in adobe which is a spicy little number and now I can’t get enough. This can be purchased from <www.aji.co.nz>
To avoid burning lips and even hotter fingertips, it really is a good idea to wear gloves even if you do enjoy the tactile aspect of cooking. And chilli-tasting certainly can become addictive as you push the boundaries a little further each time and enjoy the chilli hit. If everyone at your house likes it differently then its safer to make a dish on the milder side and serve extra finely sliced chilli at the table so each person can help themselves.
Golden Bay Organics stocks a good range of ingredients from the Tio Pablo brand, as well as the traditional tortilla press and the special gluten-free corn flour “masa” which is used for making them.
Light years away from a store bought tortilla, this is another great job for the kids to get into and as with making and rolling pasta, once you have done it a few times it becomes quite natural and heaps of fun.
Burritos, tacos and fajitas (pronouned far-heat-ah) are all great kid food and a good way of incorporating lots of veg and protein into their diet. Leftovers are perfect for lunch boxes so make more than you need.
One of many Mexican ingredients that grows well in our climate is the tomatillo. One bush is generally enough as they are prolific producers. To harvest just pick when still firm but turning pale green. Remove the papery husk and wash. Dry well and freeze in a zip-lock bag. To use from frozen for making perhaps salsa verde, simply cook without thawing and they will taste as good as a fresh one.
Fresh coriander and chillis are still growing in the glasshouse and limes are ripening now...it must be the perfect time to cook up a Mexican Fiesta! And as the news warns of plummeting temperatures at least we know that the food will be warming and tasty.
Mexican recipes are everywhere these days and the magazines are full of them. However I have one excellent book written by Jane Butel which I refer to all the time. This author has written many books specifically on Mexican cooking including the Finger Lickin “Rib Stickin” Great Tastin’Hot and Spicy Barbecue book, which seems to pretty well cover it . And if my chilli addiction gets any worse I can always look out for another book of hers called Chilli Madness but I’m hoping it won’t come to that.
Tortillas
To make your very own authentic tortillas you will need 2 cups of masa flour. Place this into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and 250ml warm water.
Mix with your hands to a soft pliable dough, adding more water or flour if necessary.
Form into a ball, cover with cling- film and rest for at least 20 minutes.
Divide dough into 16 pieces and roll each into a ball.
Line your tortilla press with one square of baking paper. Place one dough ball on this and cover with another square of baking paper. Press to form a disc. Roll the disc a bit more with a rolling pin if you want it flatter. Set aside and continue with the remaining balls. Heat a cast iron pan (In Mexico you would use a flat pan called a cormal griddle). Peel the baking paper from the tortilla and add to the pan. Cook until lightly browned and turn. Brown the other side and remove to a tea towel-lined basket. As you stack the next cooked tortilla on top, keep them covered with the towel so they steam slightly and soften a little. Serve as soon as they are done.
Beginners’ Breakfast
4 eggs
1 avocado
½ cup of fresh coriander
3 spring onions, finely sliced
2 red chilli, finely sliced
Lime wedges to serve
Hot chilli sauce (either your own, or the Kaitaia Fire Brand is good)
Fry the eggs until done to your liking. Place one egg on each cooked tortilla. Top each one with some avocado, coriander, spring onions, fresh chilli and serve hot with chilli sauce and lime wedges.
Fiona Feasey
