Mexican food is noble, delicious and, in my experience, mildly hallucinogenic, and frankly I can't think of three better reasons for exploring any cuisine. The nobility comes from the imaginative use of ingredients and the wise balancing of hot and cool flavours. That Mexican cooking is delicious is undeniably apparent. The tastes are precise and immediate, and the techniques involved are always used at the behest of flavour.
"Long ago, she and I agreed on the merits of Mexican food," wrote Craig Claiborne in the introduction to the 1986 edition of Diana Kennedy's classic book, The Cuisines of Mexico. "It is, we decided, earthy food, festive food, happy food, celebration food. It is, in short, pleasant food raised to the level of high and sophisticated art."
Earthy, festive, happy celebration food. What could be better to get the new year off to a thrilling start? Lloyd Grossman describes Mexican cooking as a "rich, weird and stimulating cuisine" - where else in the world of cooking would we be so confident about using the adjective "weird" - and I wonder if much of the magic realism writing of the Americas owes something to the cooking? Who needs E, or psilocybin, when adobada salsa will do the trick?
Along with our recipes, which are essentially a starter level introduction, we have included some dazzling recipes from Danette O'Connell, the brilliant cook from the wonderful Danette's Feast, at Urglin Glebe, just outside Carlow. She loves to cook Mexican food as one element of the menus she offers in Danette's Feast, and which we shall be reviewing shortly, and she does so quite brilliantly. "It's a labour of love", she says simply, and it's a labour of love which she describes poetically.
We used one of the salsas made by Gus and Theresa Hernandez, whose Sabores de Mexico spices and splendid Dona Theresa salsas are a feature of various markets, including Dublin's Temple Bar market, to make this spicy casserole, which can be cooked up in a matter of minutes. It teamed sensationally with Sopa Seca de Tortilla - a "dry soup" of tortillas baked with peppers, cream and cheese, which we found in a venerable edition of Better Homes and Gardens Mexican Cooking.
Chicken with Adobada Salsa
2 chicken legs and thighs (large)
1 jar of Sabores de Mexico Salsa Adobada, Doa Theresa
1 dessertspoon sesame seeds
1 onion, halved lengthways, then sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 ears fresh sweetcorn, cut into rings
6 small waxy potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tin tomatoes
Fry the chicken in the oil until brown. Add the onions and fry until translucent. Add the spice and seeds. Add the chilli sauce and the tomatoes, and cook for 20 minutes on a medium heat.
Sopa Seca de Tortilla
10 six-inch tortillas cooking oil
2 green bell peppers, cut in strips
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cut tortillas in strips about three inches long and half-an-inch wide.
In a medium skillet heat a quarter-inch of oil. Fry tortilla strips, a few at a time, about 10 seconds or just till limp. Remove with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towelling. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of oil from skillet. Add green pepper strips, onion, and garlic; cook till onion is tender. Sprinkle vegetables with salt. In an oven-proof casserole stir together tortilla strips, vegetables, whipping cream and half of the cheese. Cover and bake in 250F oven for 20 minutes.
Uncover. Stir gently. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 10 minutes more or till heated through. Makes six servings.
Danette O'Connell's Beef Machaca
Danette writes: "In all the printed recipes for machaca that I have seen, the instructions are to shred the meat with two forks. In my opinion, and growing-up experience with the Mexican family next door, this is not sufficient. The dish is a labour of love and demands the chef/cook to instil love into the dish. I cannot successfully make this dish without thinking of people I love who also love food and will appreciate the end result. (So Laura Esquivel is right `The secret is to make it with love'). If you don't do this the shredding will drive you insane!
"Machaca is sometimes served on its own with several accompaniments (guacamole, salsa fresca, salad, grated cheese and warm flour tortillas), or in tacos, tacquitos, burritos or on tostados. Always use organic vegetables and source your meat from a good, small local butcher."
2lbs beef brisket (unrolled, and as thick a piece as possible)
1 large whole bulb of garlic, peel all cloves and slice into spikes
16 fl oz beef stock or consomme
2 medium sized onions, roughly chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Lay the brisket on a chopping board and find yourself a seat. Concentrate on one square inch at a time and make several slits into the meat. Into each opening, insert a spike of garlic (if you cheat on this procedure then you cheat on the flavour). Continue until you've covered the entire piece of meat with garlic.
Rub the black pepper on the meat and place in a deep roasting tin. Cover with the stock/conscomme and surround with the vegetables and spices. Cover tightly with tin foil and bake slowly (160C/320F) for approximately four to five hours. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the meat. Allow to cool.
This is when you start thinking of someone you love! Take a chunk of meat at a time and pull the meat apart. The meat will easily separate on the grain. Each one of these grains must be separated into threads by hand. Sit, daydream and fill a bowl with the threads. Reserve the meat juices. When you are finished, chop your shredded meat into approximately one-inch lengths.
Phase 2
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium sized onions, diced
7 cloves garlic, chopped
finely reserved meat juices sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups fresh coriander, chopped
Heat oil in deep frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Place shredded beef on top of this and turn regularly. Cook until the meat just begins to brown. Add meat stock ladle by ladle allowing the juices to reduce completely between additions. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste. Take off the heat and stir in the coriander. Treat yourself to a few bites!
Tacos
Warm a corn tortilla by placing over a gas flame, turning twice. Place a heaped tablespoon of machaca in the centre and fold over into a half moon shape. Secure with a cocktail stick. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry each taco to desired crunch (some people like soft tacos, others crispy). Drain on kitchen towel. Remove cocktail stick and stuff tacos with grated cheese, salsa, guacamole and salad. Eat with the hands sideways (don't wear your best clothes) and repeat until fully sated. This could take some time.
Tacquitos (little tacos)
Warm tortilla as above. Place machaca at the edge of tortilla and roll up like a cigar. Again, secure with a cocktail stick and fry until crisp. Massive quantities of guacamole and salsa need to be handy to repeatedly dip the tacquitos in. (Takes even longer to be sated with these.) Miniature tacquitos (cut into bite-size after frying) make excellent canapes.
Burritos (little donkeys)
Place the machaca back into a frying pan and when hot, add beaten eggs to the meat. Cook as you would scrambled eggs. Warm a flour tortilla as above. Place the meat and egg mixture in the centre of the tortilla (you may add frijoles as well), top with salsa and cheese and fold up bottom portion of tortilla to half cover the filling - then other side to cover. These tend to be the most filling.
Salsa Fresca
1 lb fresh ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped (tinned tomatoes may be used off season)
4 scallions, finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 small green chilli pepper, chopped very finely
2 large handfuls (approx 1 cup packed) fresh coriander leaves, chopped finely
Combine all ingredients and let stand for at least three hours before using. Season to taste with salt and black pepper after setting period.
Guacamole
This recipe will vary according to your taste, but more to the variety of and ripeness of your avocados. Many recipes call for the addition of mayonnaise or soured cream - quite simply this is a sin. It overshadows the subtle flavour of the avocado.
If you want to keep the guacamole from going black keep the seeds and place them on top of the guacamole. Cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge until ready to use (will keep for an hour or so without discolouring).
2 ripe avocados (haas variety, with the bumpy skins, is preferred)
half red onion, minced finely
1 tomato, skinned, seeded and minced finely
1 clove garlic, minced finely
1-2 tablespoons salsa fresca (see above)
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped coriander lime juice to taste
salt and black pepper
Mash avocados with a fork. There should be some little chunks, but mostly smooth. Add onion, garlic, salsa and coriander. Taste. Add lime juice. Taste. Adjust and season with salt and black pepper. Taste again just for measure!
Cooked salsa
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, finely diced 2 guajillo chillies (mild chilli pepper or use mild chilli powder)
1 teaspoon red hot dried chillies (or to taste)
3 heaped tablespoons good quality double concentrate tomato puree
a little water to thin slightly sea salt/black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Heat oil in saucepan or frying pan. Add garlic and onions and cook until starting to brown. Add chillies and cook for a further minute. (Keep your eyes away from the fumes.) Add tomato puree, water, salt and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes, then stir in the coriander.
Mild Tomato and Soured Cream Sauce
I use this for enchiladas, and it is a lovely accompaniment to chilli rellenos
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced finely
5 cloves of garlic, minced finely
2 teaspoons mild chilli powder
1 teaspoon hot chilli powder
500g tomato passatta
sea salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste
4 tablespoons (heaped) soured cream
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
Heat oil in saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook slowly until sweet. Add chilli powders and stir for a few seconds. Stir in passata. Season with salt and pepper and allow to come up to the boil. Reduce heat to very low and stir in soured cream and coriander. Warm and serve.
Cheese and Pepper Enchiladas
Dip corn tortillas into the warm sauce to soften them. Fill with strips of roasted peppers, grated cheese, chopped black olives and chopped onions. Roll up like cigars. Place in baking tray. Pour remaining sauce on top. Top with more grated cheese, onions and olives and bake at 180C for 20 minutes. Serve with a dollop of soured cream. Heaven.
Chilli Rellenos
Large peppers may be cut in half after roasting to make two rellenos. I'm presuming the peppers to be small in this case.
8 mild peppers
8 slices of Blarney cheese (Blarney comes closest to Monterey Jack cheese) 4 eggs separated
2 tablespoons fine cornmeal (polenta type will do or a grade heavier)
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Roast the peppers, cool and peel. Slit them open and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Fill with cheese and close over. Heat enough oil to shallow fry in a skillet over a medium-high heat. Meanwhile beat the egg yolks with a fork. Add salt, pepper and cornmeal. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold into egg yolks.
Dip each cheese-filled pepper into the batter and fry until golden-brown. Turn and cook other side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately on their own or with a tomato and chilli sauce.
Danette's Chilli Rellenos
Danette's Chilli Rellenos with Parma Ham, Goat's Cheese and a Puree of Sundried Tomatoes, to give it its full title, is a Mediterranean version of the Mexican classic.
8 sweet red peppers, roasted,
skinned and seeded
4 slices Parma ham
4oz soft, mild goat's cheese, such as St Tola's
4 teaspoons of sun-dried tomato puree (I make a pure with softened sundried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil)
Roast the peppers, cool and peel. Slit them open and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Place half a slice of Parma ham inside, then a teaspoon of puree then an ounce of the goat's cheese on top. Close over.
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoon fine cornmeal sea salt and black pepper
4 egg whites oil
Heat enough oil to shallow fry a deep skillet over a medium-high heat. Mix egg yolks in a bowl with a fork. Add salt, pepper and cornmeal. In another bowl beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the cornmeal mixture. Dip the filled peppers into the batter (making sure not to lose all the contents in the batter.) Fry until golden brown. Turn and fry the other side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately. I serve these with a seasonal green salad as a starter.
Danette's Feast, Urglin Glebe, Bennekerry, Carlow, Co Carlow. Tel: 0503-40817.