We’re nearing
the end of a six-week programme at the Approved Premises and Wednesday's session was
Mexican cookery, so a chance for the group to learn about the different
spices which are used to enhance this cuisine and compare them to the herbs and spices they've been learning about it previous weeks. Their tastebuds have been on a journey around the world - we
landed in China for stir-fry, went Italian with pasta, had curry in India and of
course swung by good old Blighty in week two for some dumplings and pies!
This week, Kim introduced four dishes: salsa, guacamole, refried beans,
tortillas and lightly fried quesadilla. The group of four formed their familiar production line: chopping plum and cherry tomatoes, cucumber, onions and chillies for the salsa, then stirring through a glug of
olive oil along with some fresh coriander. A similar mix
was then prepared with the addition of avocado and garlic for the guacamole, which
we discovered translates to ‘avocado sauce’. Kim explained that the
smell of garlic can be removed from your hands by rubbing them over a piece of steel such as a
tap or by rinsing with some lemon juice – the guys were delighted. Kim also told us how to soften the avocados - place them next to a banana as apparently the
avocado reacts to gases released by the banana. But ideally, buy your avocado
a week before you plan to use it.
We then
turned our attention to making the refried beans and tortillas. The
borlotti beans were washed, mashed and sprinkled with chipotle, cumin, garlic
paste and finely sliced chillies. The tortillas were made with a simple mix of
flour, warm water, salt, butter and baking powder, then dry fried in a pan over a high
heat. Some of the group sampled the deliciously spiced ingredients straight away on a freshly made
tortilla, known as a fajita, but Kim wanted to take the dish to another level… On one half of a cooked tortilla, Kim got the guys to spread a spoonful of refried beans, then plop on some salsa and sprinkle over grated cheese, then she showed them how to fold the unladen side of the tortilla over the filled half and this 'quesadilla’ was put back
into the pan to warm through and melt the cheese. The quesadillas were served with a dollop of soured cream and some shredded lettuce
and just tasted divine. Thanks guys for bringing a little Mexico to the back
streets of Chorlton!
There are more photographs from this session on Facebook - click here.
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