99introductionINTRODUCCIÓNWhen we opened La Boca Loca in April 2011, we had a clear goal: to bring the freshest flavours of Mexico to Wellington. Our mission was to recreate and share the taste of our childhoods — in Sinaloa, Mexico and Napa, California — using fresh, locally available ingredients.Since we opened, we’ve made it our priority to combine the very best local produce with carefully selected and sourced traditional ingredients like dried chillies, organic corn masa, and boutique tequilas and mezcals. We’ve insisted on making our food fresh and on choosing responsibly produced and sustainable ingredients: we hand-press corn tortillas daily for our tacos; our fish is line-caught off the coast of Wellington.As we expected, people loved the taste of freshly prepared Mexican food just as much as we do, and many wanted to learn to make it themselves at home. When we began to offer cooking classes, people came in numbers, learning to make their own corn tortillas, cooked salsas and tequila cocktails.And it’s not happening only in Miramar. Mexican cuisine has been showing up more often on the menus at restaurants and in home kitchens all over New Zealand. Tacos have been spotted in fine dining establishments and breakfast burritos are popping up in cafés all over the country. Mexican food is hot, so we weren’t surprised when we started to get requests for a cookbook.There are plenty of fabulous Mexican cookbooks already out there, so why a Mexican cookbook made in New Zealand? Firstly, because our loyal customers asked. But, more importantly, because cookbooks from abroad often assume access to ingredients that are difficult or impossible to find in New Zealand. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to follow a recipe and not being able to find key elements.So we created a guide to the essentials of your Mexican pantry and where you can get them in New Zealand. And for the items we haven’t yet found — or we've imported to New Zealand ourselves — we suggest good substitutes. We also put together a section on the basics of Mexican cooking, so you’ll feel confident handling chillies, preparing masa, pressing tortillas and making fresh and cooked salsas. Once you’ve mastered these core skills, there’s no end to the variations you can create.Our hope is that you’ll see how easy it can be to make delicious, fresh, traditional Mexican food and be inspired to recreate the flavours you’ve enjoyed at La Boca Loca at home.— Lucas Putnam & Marianne Elliott38BASICS & STAPLES 39You’d be hard pressed to find a Mexican dish more beloved than this one. Even if you’ve never been in a Mexican restaurant, the odds are very good that you’ve dipped a corn chip into a bowl of this gorgeous green goodness. For best results, use freshly squeezed lime juice and the best avocados you can find.Using a mortar and pestle, mash together the chopped onion, 1 tablespoon coriander and ½ tablespoon chillies (if using) to make a rough paste. Transfer to a medium bowl.Cut avocados in half lengthwise and remove stones. Use a spoon to scoop flesh into the bowl with the onion paste. Gently mash and mix with a fork until chunky-smooth.Fold remaining coriander and chilli into mixture, tasting along the way to check heat.Fold in lime juice, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with a basket of totopos or slices of cucumber.homemade guacamoleGUACAMOLE CASERAServes 4¼ brown or red onion, finely chopped2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander1 tbsp minced jalapeño or serrano chilli (optional)2 large avocados2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juicesalt and ground black peppertotopos (p. 52) for serving96 the classicsMakes 12 (serves 4 to 6 with side dishes or a salad)Filling1 carrot, sliced1 stick celery, sliced1 onion, sliced3 chicken breasts (about 900g)1 tbsp olive oilsalt and ground black pepperÁrbol mix1 to 4 árbol chillies, depending on your heat preference1 small onion, chopped2 cloves garlic1 cup of vegetable oilsalt and ground black pepperTo finish1 litre salsa de enchilada (p. 45)12 corn tortillas1 cup grated cheddar cheese1 cup chopped lettuce and/or sliced radish for garnishingThis is one of the most popular dishes at La Boca Loca — it’s low on heat but high on flavour and it’s popular with kids as well as adults. It would make a great base for a family dinner or casual party for friends.Preheat oven to 180°C. Place carrot, celery and onion in a roasting pan. Top with chicken breasts, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 1 hour, until juices run clear when you cut them with a sharp knife. Once chicken is cooked, remove from the oven, cool slightly and shred meat with two forks.Using a stick blender, process the árbol mix ingredients until blended. Place shredded chicken in a fry pan with árbol mix and toss until chicken is slightly crispy.To make enchiladas, preheat oven to 150°C. Spread a quarter of the salsa de enchilada in the bottom of a baking dish. Dip each tortilla into enchilada sauce to moisten both sides.Place some filling along the centre of each tortilla; roll to make a cylinder.Place tortillas in tray, seam-side down, so they touch each other and don’t roll apart. Pour remaining sauce on top, sprinkle over grated cheddar and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with chopped lettuce and/or radish as a garnish. Chicken EnchiladasENCHILADAS DE POLLOENCHILADASAn enchilada is a soft corn tortilla wrapped around a filling and covered in a mild chilli sauce. Although some of the fillings and sauces take a bit of time to prepare, they can generally be made in advance so that assembly, cooking and serving happen in minutes. We think this — combined with their deliciousness — makes enchiladas the perfect choice for midweek dinners.97142desserts 143Mexican flan is a custard dessert, similar to a French crème caramel. In Mexico, cooks often add tropical fruits, coffee, coconut or chocolate. We love the tangy tamarind with the sweet, richness of the custard in this version.Bring milk, cream, vanilla pod and seeds to a boil and then remove from the heat. Allow to steep for 30 minutes. Add condensed milk. Combine eggs, egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until creamy. Pour vanilla-cream mixture through a sieve into the egg-sugar mixture.Cook the custard in a double boiler set over a flame that’s just strong enough to keep the water at a gentle simmer. (If you don’t have a double boiler, you can use a metal bowl set over a simmering pot of water.) Stir the egg mixture constantly until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and set aside.To make tamarind caramel, combine water and sugar in a small pot over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes until the mixture turns brown and begins to bubble. Add tamarind paste and stir through until mixed. Remove from the heat.Preheat oven to 150°C. Place a tea towel in the bottom of a rectangular baking dish at least 5cm deep. Set 16 flan moulds in the dish. Swirl to cover bottom of each mould with caramel, then fill each mould to just below the top with custard mixture. Pour hot water into the baking dish to reach halfway up the flan moulds and carefully place in preheated oven. Cover the dish with foil. Bake for about 1 hour, checking after 30 and 45 minutes. Flans should be just firm: When you gently shake moulds the custard should move but have no liquid. Cool and refrigerate to firm up. Just before serving, remove moulds from refrigerator, and set in a shallow pan of hot water. Run a knife around rims and turn flans out onto serving plates.Tamarind FlanFLAN TAMARINDOMakes 16 individual flansCustard2 cups milk2 cups cream1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved1½ cups sweetened condensed milk6 eggs6 egg yolks125g caster sugarTamarind Caramel300g water300g sugar1 tbsp tamarind paste (p. 35)We hope youenjoyed this EYB Book PreviewThe complete book is available from allmajor booksellers. Or use the "BuyBook" button and help support EYB. Next >