The approach of Guy Fawkes Night, even as an adult, gives me ripples of anticipation.
As a child, bonfire night seemed like the darkest, coldest evening of the year, symbolising the beginning of winter. The crystal-clear sky (for some reason in my memory, it is always clear and starry) would be as icy as it was beautiful, lit up with the shower of exploding fireworks.
These days, it's an excuse to enjoy an organised fireworks display with family friends before returning home to eat.
The most successful post-firework dishes combine deliciousness and simplicity, and are cooked in advance, bubbling ready to eat when we arrive back home. Elegant but homely French bourgeois-style classics have proved popular. Indulgences of recent years have included beautiful poached meats bobbing in the traditional "pot au feu", and a cassoulet, rich with melting duck and tender beans. Homemade pizza was the biggest hit with the children. This year, however, sees quite a shift: we're doing Mexican.
I am no expert by any means, but I do enjoy the flavours this cuisine offers. When I lived in Chicago, I adored the celebrated, very authentic Mexican restaurants run by chef Rick Bayliss. At home, even if you have to make some substitutions along the way, you can still produce food which is faithful in spirit to the original. Some of the techniques are curiously different to European methods, adding an extra element of interest. Above all, this is fun food that seems to appeal to all ages, perfect for the approach of Bonfire Night.
Soft tortilla shells filled with spicy beef
Recipes serve four
600g minced beef
Olive oil for frying
1 can (15 oz) cooked black beans, drained and rinsed in a sieve under cold water for half a minute
1 cucumber, chopped into 1cm pieces
4 chopped plum tomatoes
A rounded dessertspoon of finely chopped fresh coriander
A bunch of thinly sliced spring onions
1 tsp green tabasco sauce
2 limes for juicing
A red onion, peeled and finely sliced
A red pepper, sliced in thin strips
8 small whole-wheat tortillas (six-inch size, or use the size you prefer)
Salt and pepper
Pinch of ground cumin to taste
Pinch of dried oregano, to taste
Optional: grated mozzarella to sprinkle over the finished shells
1. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over medium heat, add the minced beef, crumbling apart with your fingers as you put it in the pan. Sprinkle in the cumin, oregano, salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and cook until the meat is well browned, about five minutes, stiring regularly.
2. When the beef is brown, add the rinsed black beans and a cup of water, turn down heat to low, and let the mixture simmer until all the water has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Taste the mixture and see if you want add more spices or seasoning. Tip the meat mixture out in to a clean bowl for now and add more oil to the cooking pan. Add the onion and peppers and sweat slowly until softened, then return the meat to this pan.
3. While the meat simmers, finely chop the cucumber and tomatoes, coriander and spring onions. Combine these ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and stir in the green tabasco sauce and lime juice; this makes a simple salsa.
4. When the meat is ready, prepare the soft taco shells. Take a spray water bottle and two paper towels to use when heating the tortillas. Put one paper towel on a plate, spray with a little bit of water, put four tortillas on top of the towel, cover with a second towel, and spray the top with a little more water. Put the plate in the microwave and cook for 45 seconds to one minute, just until the tortillas feel hot to the touch. Remove tortillas from microwave and immediately fold each in half. Keep warm while you repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
5. Fill one side of each tortilla with the beef-and-black-bean mixture and, if you wish, sprinkle on some grated cheese; then spoon on a generous amount of the salsa mixture. Fold tortillas over and arrange on a dish. Serve at once with guacamole.
Guacamole
An authentic guacamole recipe contains only four ingredients, plus salt, so a real version should be as follows. Below that one is a popular alternative.
3 ripe avocados
Juice of three limes
1 or 2 red chilli, chopped, including the seeds
2 dessertspoons of roughly chopped coriander
Salt
Slice the avocados in half and discard the stone then scoop the flesh out with a spoon into a bowl. Mash with a fork until almost but not completely smooth then add the lime juice and a little salt. Stir in, then finally fold in the chilli. Cover the surface with cling film to exclude any air and refrigerate for an hour. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired, then stir in coriander and serve.
3 ripe avocados
One small red onion, finely diced
A red pepper, finely diced
A red chilli, chopped
Juice of two limes
Two to three dessertspoons of crème fraiche
Slice the avocados in half and discard the stone then scoop the flesh out with a spoon into a bowl. Mash with a fork until almost but not completely smooth then add the lime juice and crème fraiche and a little salt. Continue stirring well to mix thoroughly. Stir in the red pepper, onion and the chilli. Cover the surface with cling film to exclude any air and refrigerate for an hour. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired then stir in coriander and serve. Less authentic, but still delicous.
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