Wahaca takes Mexican-inspired dishes and sources them as ethically and as locally as possible. We’ll upload some of our recipes from time to time, and if you want to recommend some of your own, we might even cook them for you.
Tell us about your favourite recipes via the comments section of this post.
Join us on Tuesday 9th March from 1pm in Canada Place Crossroads in Canary Wharf’s mall for a chance to meet Thomasina Miers and get an exclusive signed copy of her new book “Mexican Food Made Simple.”
“A world away from Tex-Mex sizzling fajitas with cheesy nachos, Thomasina Miers, former MasterChef champ and Wahaca restaurant founder, is bringing a large slice of genuine Mexico to the mainstream” The Independent
To mark the occasion, Wahaca will be giving away delicious guacamole and chips fresh from their restaurant in The Park Pavilion, Canada Square.
Hope to see you there!
This is a guest post by Steve Gale who is the winner of Tommi’s Mexican Recipe Competition. Steve’s brilliant recipe for a refreshing salad made with watermelon and a dusting of sugar, salt and chilli can be found in Tommi’s new book, Mexican Cooking Made Simple. Over to Steve for an insight into where his idea came from and what he thought of the book launch…
I first sampled Thomasina’s cooking at the Covent Garden branch of Wahaca and remember being blown away by the authenticity of the food. It was a really fun place to eat and there was the all important buzz of people enjoying fantastic food with friends. So many times I have eaten in other Mexican restaurants and have been disappointed with the standard nacho and fajita fare. So when I saw the competition to submit a recipe for possible inclusion into Thomasina’s new book, I leapt at the chance.
Over the past 10 years I have travelled extensively in Europe, India, Asia, Mexico, Central and South America. I feel I am uniquely strange in that as a bloke I don’t watch the footie, I travel and write down recipes of blinding meals I have eaten in unusual places. I trawled back through my note books and remembered a great Mexican street food trend of serving chilled fruit with a chilli, salt & sugar sprinkle. The cold juicy fruit works really well with a salty chilli hit – just what you need on a blisteringly hot Mexican day. I adapted this into a light salad with some fresh cheese and a crispy tortilla and was extremely lucky to win the competition.
Thomasina was kind enough to invite me to the book launch in her new Wahaca restaurant in west London. It was quite a star studded affair and a little intimidating for one not used to media events. However a few (strong) margaritas later and I was feeling much more comfortable, if a little drunk. I think the key to a good margarita is not to let any one element overpower the drink and these ones slipped down a treat! The canapés were great – a selection of delicious dishes in miniature from the main menu. Potato and chorizo tacos, lime and coriander braised beef tostadas, crispy fried chicken tacos… I could go on….
I had a really good chat to Rachel Allen and Matt Tebbut and then stalked the other celebs for a photo opportunity before finally catching up with Thomasina (and her Mum). Thomasina is clearly passionate about Mexican food and is trying to show people that the food of this region is not a one trick piñata. Yes, tortillas play a big role in Mexican food but this is the carbohydrate staple of the nation. Imagine suggesting that the cuisine of Italy is dull because they eat a lot of pasta! The food of Mexico is as exciting and diverse as any I have eaten. From fish tacos in Baja California to the seven famous moles (sauces) of Oaxaca, great smoky chilli rubs on barbequed meats to delicate marinated fish dishes. I really hope that Thomasina succeeds and inspires more people to cook and eat real Mexican food.
You can read more of Steve’s culinary adventures on his website: www.gapyeargourmet.com and find out more about his recipe in Tommi’s new book: Mexican Cooking Made Simple.
Congratulation Steve and thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
Ceviche originates in Peru but that doesn’t stop the Mexicans taking it on as their own. They are particularly good on the coast where the seafood if fresh and plentiful and just waiting for the fresh lime and chilli. It makes a brilliant, healthy start to a meal. Just make sure you buy a sustainable, firm fish such as pollock or mackerel. Over to Katherine:
My friend’s family own a pescaderia in Manzanillo, the pacific coast of Mexico and whenever I have visited her, they make amazing fish dishes. My favourite, however, is their ‘house’ ceviche. I’m not sure of the exact proportions/quantites of each ingredient as they do it by taste and sight…
Ingredients:
Minced white fish
Finely, finely chopped carrot
Finely, finely chopped white onion
Finely, finely chopped red tomatoes
Chilli
Lime juice
Fresh coriander (chopped)
Plenty of salt
Method:
The fish is either roughly minced or finely chopped into cubes. Add salt and then cook in the lime juice until it goes white.
When the fish is ready drain off the lime juice so that the fish is quite dry. There should be no excess juice, unlike other ceviche.
Mix the fish with the vegetables (onion, tomatoes, carrot, coriander and chilli) and add salt and oregano to taste.
This is best served on small tostadas (round, crisp tortillas), with sliced avocado on top and mucho salsa valentine.
Serving this on a taco is a great idea. Katherine’s recipe is a classic. You can vary the type of fish and even use prawns and scallops. It’s great with an ice cold Pacifico.
Thanks to everyone who entered my competition. For more Mexican recipes, including the winning recipe from Steve Gale you’ll have to buy my book – Mexican Cooking Made Simple!
Matty’s contribution to my recipe competition is a Mexican teatime classic. Kids would come home from school craving this cheap, delicious treat, kind of like the best of beans on toast and cheese on toast all wrapped up in one. It should be in everyone’s repertoire. The hollowed out middle means this recipe has far more to it than meets the eye.
This is another very typical Mexican recipe. Simple and delicious! You have to have frijoles which you can make according to this recipe. You will also need ‘pico de gallo’ salsa, which you can find out more about here. Over to Matty…
Ingredients:
4 rolls or bolillos (but 2 fresh baguettes cut in half will do the trick)
Frijoles (about a cup)
Lancashire or mozzarella cheese according to your taste
Butter
‘Pico de gallo’ salsa (recipe link)
Method:
1. Cut the rolls in half and remove the softy middle part; we call it ‘migajon’.
2. Spread with butter and then with the frijoles.
3. Sprinkle with cheese and bake about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
4. Serve with ‘pico de gallo’ salsa.
Thanks Matty for a great recipe. It just goes to show that some simple pleasures transcend international boundaries.
Stay tuned for more contributions to my Mexican recipe competition. And if you make this dish please let us know how you get on by leaving a comment.
Alicia’s recipe is a deliciously alternative idea for Pancake Day. Using smoked fish is inspired and goes beautifully with the sweet potato and corn pancakes which might be a little too sweet for normal ceviche. The pancakes are also outrageously good with streaky bacon and slow-cooked tomatoes for breakfast. You can use either smoked pollock or coley for a more sustainable option.
Feeds 4 as a light main meal
Ingredients:
For the ceviche:
300g undyed smoked haddock fillets
1 serrano chilli
1 red shallot
Juice of a lime
Tabasco (optional)
For the pancakes:
120g coarse cornmeal
1 red shallot
1 serrano chilli, grated
Zest of a lime
Kernels cut from 2 cobs of corn
200g sweet potato, grated
2 whole eggs
About 100ml milk
2 egg whites
Stems from a big bunch of coriander
Salt & pepper
Sunflower oil for frying
To finish:
Juice of half a lime
Splash of olive oil
1 ripe avocado
Leaves from a big bunch of coriander
Method:
Remove the skin from the smoked haddock and cut it into thin slices, across the grain. Place the sliced chilli, sliced shallot and slices of fish in a non-reactive dish and pour over the lime juice. Sprinkle on a little Tabasco if you like it really hot. Leave for 45 minutes to cure.
In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, diced shallot, diced chilli, lime zest, corn and sweet potato.. Stir through the whole eggs and the finely chopped coriander stems. Add enough milk to make a thick batter. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and fold through the corn and sweet potato mixture. Season with salt & pepper.
Fry pancakes gently in oil (about 4 minutes a side – the first one inevitably falls apart and it takes a long time to cook out the sweet potato) and keep them warm.
When ready to serve, drain the fish from the marinade (discarding the juices but retaining the sliced shallot and some of the chilli slices) and combine with the coriander leaves and scoops of avocado. Dress with the lime juice and a splash of olive oil. Correct the seasoning.
Serve the hot pancakes topped with cool, fresh ceviche.
Alicia’s recipe is very special indeed. The contrast of textures, temperatures and acidity make this a real joy. The corn and sweet potato pancakes are so good that you should make a large batch so they you can enjoy them for lunch the next day with a zesty topping of prawns and guacamole.
Thanks to everyone who entered my competition. For more Mexican recipes, including the winning recipe from Steve Gale you’ll have to buy my book – Mexican Cooking Made Simple!
If you’re looking for this weekend’s biggest head to head, then look no further than The Cookery Experience cook-offs at Master Chef Live, Kensington Olympia.
Come down and cheer on Tommi as she battles it out live against James Nathan and Nadia Sawalha on Friday, under the watchful eyes of John Torode and Gregg Wallace. The whole event looks like it will be a feast of culinary delights with plenty going on from Friday to Sunday. And if all of that leaves you feeling hungry, then come and gorge yourself on some of Tommi’s recipes at Wahaca Westfield, just a stones throw away.
Good Luck Tommi!
Day of the Dead Cocktail
For Day of the Dead, we got Sami our barman to dream up a delicious Day of the Dead cocktail which is so good we’ve given it a permanent place on the menu.
In a cocktail shaker add:
35ml of aged 100% agave tequila
80ml of fresh pineapple juice
and the juice of half a lime
Shake vigorously and pour into a tall glass filled with ice.
Carefully top with a good splash of red wine and garnish with mint. (To get an eerie effect pour the wine in over the back of a table spoon so it sits on top).
Chorizo, pumpkin and thyme quesadillas
Quesadillas, crispy and oozing with melted cheese and anything else you fancy is always a winner. The sweet flavour of pumpkin seems to go incredibly well with chorizo. This very easy recipe will take very little time to put together and makes a delicious, relaxed dinner. I like to eat it with a crisp Cos lettuce, sesame seed and avocado salad.
Enough for 4 large quesadillas
500g slice of pumpkin, peeled and cut into rough chunks
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
200g chopped chorizo sausage meat
A small bunch of thyme, shredded
Olive oil
200g extra mature cheddar cheese, grated
200g grated mozzarella
4 large corn tortillas
Steam the pumpkin until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool, before dicing up into small pieces. Cook the onion in a heavy-bottomed pan with the chorizo until the onion is soft and translucent and the chorizo has started to release its oil. Add the garlic and cook for a further five minutes before adding the diced pumpkin and thyme. Season to taste.
Spread the chorizo mix on one half of the tortilla and sprinkle with the cheese mix. Fold the tortilla over so that you have a half moon. Brush it with a little olive oil (so the tortilla doesn’t stick to the pan) and place in hot, dry frying pan or griddle and cook until golden and crisp.
Cut into wedges and serve with a roast jalapeno salsa or fresh tomato salsa and sour cream.
To celebrate Chocolate Week that starts on Monday 12th October we thought we’d share our delicious chocolate sauce recipe for those out there with some serious cravings! Or if you’re feeling adventurous come try our new Chilli chocolate tequila toddy – an intense hot chocolate shot with a dash of tequila which will warm you up on a cold winters day!
Wahaca chocolate sauce recipe
200g dark chocolate
75g milk chocolate
1 tbsp golden syrup
200ml double cream
150ml milk
A good pinch cinnamon
Mix all over a very low heat and enjoy with churros or over vanilla ice-cream (preferably with a good dash of plata tequila!)…
Thank you so so so much for all the recipes that you sent in for my recipe competition in August. The winning entry was submitted by Steve Gale, a delicious tostada salad using the sweet-sour flavours of the chilli salt mix that Mexicans use on the streets of Mexico to season mouthwatering slices of mango, pineapple and jicama. His recipe will be published in my new book, ‘Mexican food made simple’ which comes out at the beginning of March next year (yikes).
But there were quite a few other delicous recipes that we felt we had to publish too. I particularly loved the delicious green sauce on eggs that Gicela Morales entered – this recipe is a sure fire way to beat any hangover and perk up the tiredest of parents, teenagers or kids on a weekend morning. Try this recipe this weekend and tune in next week for more competition runners-up…
Gicela Morales’ Huevos Borrachos
This is a hot green salsa with eggs for anyone with a hangover. It’s very easy to make and only requires very basic ingredients and a few green chilles.
You can make it as hot or as mild as you wish, but the idea is to make it as hot as you can stand it! Also makes a good brunch.
INGREDIENTS (serves 2)
FOR THE EGGS
5 free range eggs
1 small onion
2 table spoons of good frying oil
Salt to taste
FOR THE SALSA
3 to 5 green chillies, depending on your tolerance…
1 small clove of garlic
240ml of water
1. Seed the chilles and roast them with the chopped garlic. Remove any burnt skin and put them in a food processor with the water until chopped roughly.
2. Chop the onion. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion. Saute the onion and add the eggs; mix until scrambled.
3. Add the green salsa to the egg and mix it gently. Bring it to to boil and add salt to taste.
Serve and eat with fresh bread or roll and a strong mug of coffee. Depending on the extent of your hangover, you may not even feel the heat!
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