Chiles and churros tell Mexico’s story of bold flavours – both fiery and sweet – a perfect pairing where the heat of a rich chilli meets the comforting warmth of cinnamon-dusted churros. Best enjoyed on a cool evening.
CHILLI CON CARNE
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
1lb/450g ground beef
2 onions finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic crushed
1 heaped teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
1 heaped teaspoon paprika, NOT smoked
1⁄2 teaspoon chilli powder or less to taste
1lb/450g tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 handful chopped parsley
1 dessertspoon vegetable stock powder
salt and pepper to season
1 tin red kidney beans drained
sour cream and grated cheddar cheese to serve
METHOD
1. Pour the oil into a pan and fry the meat until brown. Do this over maximum heat and keep stirring all the time. If the meat ‘waters’, wait until water has boiled off and continue to brown.
2. Add onions and garlic and brown with meat. The browning of the meat and the onions provides the sauce with good flavour.
3. Add the oregano, cumin, paprika and half of the chilli powder to the mixture and cook for a minute or two.
4. Then add the chopped tomatoes, puree, chopped parsley and stock cube to the pan and mix together well.
5. Bring the mixture up to the boil and then simmer for about half an hour or until the meat is tender and the sauced reduced. If too thick then add some water to it and continue to cook.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper. A little more chilli powder may be required – to taste.
7. Add the kidney beans and allow to cook for a further 15 minutes. Serve with dollop of sour cream and grated cheese if desired.
8. This dish is very good served with rice.
CHURROS
INGREDIENTS
8 ozs/250g water
4 ozs/125g flour
pinch salt
2 eggs
oil for frying
sugar (and cinnamon if desired) for rolling churros in when cooked
METHOD
1. Bring the water to the boil.
2. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour in the flour all at once and beat with a wooden spoon – as in a choux paste – until the mixture pulls away from the side of the pan.
3. Then beat in the eggs
4. Heat a couple of inches of oil in a pan until hot but not smoking.
5. Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a star disc (if possible).
6. Press long ribbons of dough directly into the hot oil, turning the churros and frying for about 5 minutes or so until golden brown. They should be about 6″ long.
7. Transfer churros with a slotted spoon to kitchen paper to drain while rest are fried.
8. Roll in cinnamon sugar before serving with hot chocolate sauce, like they do in Mexico.
RICH CHOCOLATE SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
55g/2 ozs butter
30g/1 oz cocoa powder
30g/1 oz dark chocolate
5 tablespoons milk or cream
1 dessertspoon golden syrup
30g/1 oz icing sugar sieved
1 tablespoon of liqueur of choice if desired
METHOD
1. Melt the butter, golden syrup, chocolate and cocoa powder together in a saucepan.
2. Add the milk or cream and mix together well.
3. Remove from the heat and beat in the icing sugar until the sauce is smooth and of a good consistency for drizzling. The mixture can be cooked in a microwave too.
4. Allow to cool very slightly and then pour over profiterole or ice cream.
5. To save time everything apart from the icing sugar can be melted in a microwave and when it is melted, then the icing sugar is added.
