Get ready for a spice party

this summer with Demuth’s Mexican tortillas

Summer inF or summer parties it’s great to have a ‘make and eat’

party, but it has to be simple otherwise your guests lose concentration and start drinking cool Mexican beers.

What is wonderful about tortillas is you don’t need cutlery and hardly a plate if you carefully top and wrap your tortillas.

We like making corn tortillas, as they are vegan and gluten-free. It’s best to make the dough in advance and divide it up into balls, then everyone can have a go at pressing the tortillas in the tortilla press and then dry-frying them. Have all the fi llings ready prepared and then everyone can fi ll their own tortilla with whatever they like and vary the chilli heat to their taste.

How to make tortillasMexican corn tortillas are made with yellow corn – masa harina – that has a unique flavour from the way the corn (maize) has been treated with

slaked lime. Masa harina flour is made from field corn, which has much larger and tougher kernels

than sweetcorn. The corn is dried and then treated with a solution of lime and water, also

called slaked lime. This softens the corn kernels and also makes the nutrient niacin easier for our

bodies to assimilate. You can buy masa harina flour online or from specialist Mexican stores

and larger supermarkets.

By Demuths Cookery School (www.demuths.co.uk)Makes about 500g (1lb 2oz) | Calories 180 (per 100g)

250g (9oz) yellow corn masa harina

a good pinch of salt

330ml (11fl oz) warm water

1 Put the yellow corn masa harina and salt in a large mixing bowl and add the warm water.

2 Mix together with your hands, shape into a ball and let stand for a few minutes.

3 Knead the dough gently and make into 12 small balls.

4 Place a ball of dough in the centre of a tortilla press and press down firmly. Open the press and peel the tortilla off. If you don’t have a press, roll out each ball into a circle, 3mm (1⁄8in) deep, between two sheets of baking parchment.

5 Heat a dry frying pan. Place a tortilla into the hot frying pan. When the edges begin to dry out, turn over and cook for 20 seconds and turn again. After 15 seconds, remove the tortilla and keep warm in a cloth.

Mexico

ProteinSugarSaltSaturatesTotal fat5.4g0g0.03g0g1.8g

Summer inF or summer parties it’s great to have a ‘make and eat’F or summer parties it’s great to have a ‘make and eat’F partyF partyF , but it has to be simple otherwise your guests lose

concentration and start drinking cool Mexican beers.F concentration and start drinking cool Mexican beers.FWhat is wonderful about tortillas is you don’t need cutlery What is wonderful about tortillas is you don’t need cutlery Wand hardly a plate if you carefully top and wrap your tortillas.Mexicocan fi ll their own tortilla with whatever they like and vary the chilli heat to their taste.

How to make tortillasHow to make tortillas

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VEGAN FOOD & LIVING JUNE 83

Tortilla fillingsguacamole, add lots of garlic, chilli, lime juice and even a glug of tequila.

salsas, an unusual salsa to try is made with tomatillos (see above)

black bean frijoles (re-fried beans)

crispy spicy jackfruit

shredded lettuce

sliced chillies

coriander leaves

a squeeze of lime

AvocadosThe avocado tree is native to Mexico. Like bananas, avocados mature on the tree, but only ripen when picked. Avocados are very good for you, they do contain fat, but it contains oleic acid, the monounsaturated type that is benefi cial for health, also high levels of vitamin E, iron and potassium.

LimesFresh limes are key to Mexican cookery, they are used for ceviche, salsas, sauces and to serve as wedges. Limes are preferred to lemons and give a distinctly diff erent fl avour, particularly when the zest is used. Limes also have a part to play with Mexican beer!

ChilliesThere are hundreds of diff erent chillies, all with varying degrees of heat and fl avours and many are now grown widely in the UK.

Capsaicin, the hot element, is measured in Scoville units, ranging from zero for a common bell pepper to 300,000 plus for the hottest chillies, such as the Dorset Naga. Capsaicin is said to produce endorphins in the body that block pain and enhance wellbeing.

Generally speaking, larger chillies are usually less hot. Green chillies can be hot, but they often have a fresher taste than ripe red chillies. To reduce heat, remove the seeds and membrane before cooking. The tip of the chilli is the mildest part of it.

When slicing or chopping chillies, wear gloves and wash your hands and utensils well afterwards – do not touch sensitive areas such as eyes after handling chillies.

If your mouth is on fi re, the best remedy is to drink soya milk, as water or beer will spread the capsaicin, and the pain, around. Luckily chilli burn subsides quickly.

TomatillosTomatillos, also known as Mexican green tomatoes, are closely related to the Chinese lantern and Cape gooseberry. They grew wild in Mexico and were domesticated by the Aztecs. These round fruit are surrounded by a paper-like husk and are used while green when they have a fresh, tart taste. The husk is removed and the tomatillos washed before use, as they are sticky. You can grow them just as easily as tomatoes in a warm sunny position. They keep in the fridge and freeze very well, so it is worth growing or buying large quantities, as their season is very short.

SalsasMexican salsas are traditionally made in a pestle and mortar, and they can be raw or cooked. Salsa cruda is made with diced or pounded tomatoes or tomatillos and chillies. Salsa asada is made with roasted tomatoes, chillies and garlic, the fl avours balanced with lime juice, salt and sugar.

Demuths Cookery School teaches Mexican and South American cookery. Visit demuths.co.uk and join the newsletter for new recipes, offers and competitions.

225g (8oz) tomatillos, de-husked, rinsed and diced

225g (8oz) tomatoes, diced

3 large green chillies, deseeded and diced

1 small sweet white onion, diced

a handful of fresh coriander, chopped

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste.

2 Eat at once.

Salsa cruda - tomatillo salsaBy Demuths Cookery School (www.demuths.co.uk)

Serves 2 | Prep 10 mins | Cook none | Calories 91 (per serving)

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